Riddle me this
by LadyLunarPhoenix
Summary: Slight AU: In that the gang went to the Amagi inn before they went to Tatsumi Port Island. Just mentally switch the days So yeah. If you played the game you'll know what I'm talking about. Souji gets a late night surprise. SoujixNaoto SPOILERS!
1. Souji Chapter 1

Riddle in a Romance

Written By: Lady Lunar Phoenix

Beta: Lady Lunar Phoenix

A/N: This is pretty much the final version of this fic. I've taken some time off from it and read over it, fixing the errors that I have found in the process. I don't know if I'll do it again. So yes, a line or two touch ups here and there!

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"The front desk said...!" Sometimes being a leader didn't have real perks. Ok it had 'no' perks. He was literally in charge of the lives of his friends, ensuring they didn't die on dungeon runs. While at the same time trying to manage the Detective Prince who had all, but, stalked them. Not that the group was complaining, they had developed almost an endearing fondness for the young detective. But the front desk said it was their turn in the hot springs! So why were the girls in there and hurling wooden buckets at them?! It HURT... "Come on guys let's go." He finally called out over the shrieking voices of the girls and the thumps of the buckets as they hit or missed their marks.

Teddie scrambled out of the water, ok the fact that he dropped on Yukiko kinda justified her anger. But he came dashing out of the water as fast as he could as the rest of the guys went running for their lives. Yosuke shut the door behind Teddie as the smaller boy took up the rear. Shielding them from any more stray buckets. "That was just wrong. Kanji-kun you said that the front desk told us we could come in right?"

"Yeah..." Kanji was blinking, his eyes wide with shock at the sudden sight of the girls in nothing, but, a towel. Even if it was just a misunderstanding did they 'have' to get those buckets flung at them? It wasn't like they were raging perverts. His own Shadow not withstanding of course... *cough*

There was a soft sound of rapid approaching steps as Naoto turned the corner, his gun drawn and at the side. "What was all that screaming?" He asked looking over at the four. His expression turned from alarm to confusion as he took in Teddie's wet state, Yosuke's pissed off one, Kanji's embarrassed one, and Souji's 'just kill me now' woebegone look. "I thought someone was being murdered with all that noise."

Souji turned his head to look over at the shorter boy, watching as the smaller boy relaxed. But he looked annoyed as well, sliding the gun back in it's holster. "Worried about us? I'm touched," Souji replied, a faint smile on his face as he spoke. "Seems the times got mixed up and we accidentally walked in on the girls," he explained patiently, when Yosuke interjected.

"But who gave them permission to just chunk Bucket's at us! It's not like we were trying to rip the towels off their bodies or anything!"

"Does this mean you forgive us?" Teddie asked looking at the detective. After all, they had gone behind the boy's back to get him to spend the night. Calling the boy's grandfather and asking if Naoto could stay. Course once Naoto found out he'd been so upset he refused to leave the room for the most part. For that matter he pretty much refused to talk or do anything with the group. Watching the garden when he was left to his own devices as though it was more interesting.

"I'm here on a murder investigation, random voices screaming in the night concern me," he retorted, as he straightened out his coat before turning to leave.

"Hey Naoto-kun why didn't you come with us?" Yosuke asked, fixing his attention onto the smaller boy. "Shy?"

"I-I have better things to do," he retorted hotly, but a brief look over the shoulder revealed a light dusting of red over the teens' nose and cheek. Right before the smaller boy ran, not walked, off.

"Wow he's a shy one when he's not on duty," Souji noted absently, as he pushed himself from the wall he had been leaning against. "Come on everyone let's go back." He turned back towards their room.

*** Later that night. ***

Naoto was going to be difficult, he was bright with a quick mind and gun hand to boot. The boy was piecing it together about the Team's involvement with the murders. But at the moment if Naoto believed their guilt or innocence, and realistically there was no 'innocence' about it, it was up in the air. Sometimes Souji caught Naoto looking at them as though he was trying to figure something out. But if it was on social interactions or if he was spending time with murders Souji couldn't tell.

He couldn't sleep sometimes because of his worry. Wondering if he was doing the right thing, making the right choices, which was why he was still up. So when he heard the soft sound of someone getting up, he turned to look. He was on one end of the room, a small slender framed person was sitting up. He watched as they quietly climbed out of their beds trying to fathom who it was. Could be either Teddie or Naoto, were they going to the springs? The girls 'had' to be out by now, and some friendly companionship, would be nice. That is if it was Teddie, if it was Naoto he couldn't really know what that would involve.

Maybe a mind game? He watched as the person got up slipping out of the room with all the stealth of a mouse. So of course he got up as well, pulling on his robe as he did so. It wasn't Teddie, the kid wasn't skilled at being quiet, even in his human form. Which left their current snoopy Detective, but why was he leaving? It couldn't be to try the same prank on the girls right?

He followed the smaller boy, creeping along as the smaller boy made off with a towel in his arms. Was he going to the hot springs now? At this hour? But whatever, it was a chance to spend some time with the Detective and perhaps figure out what Naoto or the police force was thinking about the case. He followed the smaller boy until the boy disappeared into the first room before the hot springs. Then Souji returned and snagged his own towel and went back to the hot springs.

He slipped in quietly securing a spot for himself to change before putting up his sleep wear. There were a few remaining bottles of cold drinks resting in half melted ice That would work, during a break they could have those. With that in mind he slid the door open revealing the hot spring once more to him. Yet oddly enough like before, he saw someone scurrying off to hide behind some of the large rocks in the water. He frowned before shaking his head. Yep, defiantly shy.

"Naoto-kun it's only me." He called out as he walked over stepping down into the hot spring.

"Get out!" The detective called out with an oddly mixed tone, shock mainly, but there was fear as well. Which raised Souji's interest.

"Why? We're all men here." He walked along towards where he saw the smaller boy disappear off to. The water was a bit of a blessing, it allowed him to keep tabs on Naoto, while allowing the same in reverse. He could see the small waves stir as Naoto moved to counter him, keeping that rock between them. "Naoto what's the matter?"

"Nothing, now get out," he growled, as he moved to keep them apart. He was sounding increasingly agitated and it bothered Souji to hear that.

"Naoto-kun, I realize you're probably upset that the guys went behind your back and pretty much kidnapped you here. But you're acting like a child, I'm not going to hurt you, it's not a contest or anything. I just want to talk to you." He noticed how it got very quiet on the other side of the rock when he said the word 'child'.

"I'm not a child!" Naoto shot back heatedly, the water making a splashing sound. Apparently he struck a nerve as Naoto struck the water in anger. "You want to talk then talk!" It sounded like the boy had barred his teeth in anger. Why... oh then again, Souji remembered his Uncle mentioning Naoto's situation in the police station.

"Not like this Naoto-kun. Not with a rock between us, nor with you clearly set on wanting to kick my ass for talking to you like this," he replied, letting his own annoyance seep into his voice. He made a quick attempt to get around the rock, but Naoto countered. He could hear a splash and realized the Detective went under for a moment. But it wasn't enough of a slow down.

"Stay away from me," Naoto threatened, and he rolled his eyes.

"Naoto-kun give me one good reason why I can't see you?" he asked then had any idea. "What? You're scarred up by something?"

"Yes." It came out fast, Naoto was intentionally grabbing onto the first excuse offered to avoid showing himself. Which meant it was a lie, no one readily admitted to things that affected them deeply.

"You're lying, you answered too quickly for that to be the case," Souji replied, and smirked as he heard Naoto's quick intake of breath.

"I am thought to be everywhere, and have only one rival. He hides within himself, and stays where ever I can not reach. Who am I? Who is my rival?" Naoto countered, a riddle, but the boy sounded almost happy.

'Everywhere, but with only one rival. What is everywhere? Air is, but it's not considered as having a 'rival' in any classic sense. Something that can be found anywhere... Good and evil... Light and...' Souji laughed in answer. "You are the Light, and he is the Dark."

"Please respect my wishes, I just don't want anyone to see me. I detest my body." Naoto yielded that answer to his question.

"I make you weak at all the worst times. I keep you safe, I keep you fine. I make your hands sweat, your heart grow cold, I visit the weak but seldom the bold."

There was a pause as the Detective puzzled the riddle out. When he answered his voice was more subtle, they found their game to play. "Fear." At Souji's soft sound of approval for the correct answer he asked a question of his own. His tone bold, confident. "Are you in any way connected to the murders and kidnappings of Inaba?"

Souji closed his eyes for a moment, yes, a dangerous game for them to play. "Yes. What is your view on the kidnappings?" He opened them again, a battle of wits perhaps, but he had to look after the group.

"I am a God, a Messenger, and a way to keep temperature." That was an easy one, he smiled did Naoto want to tell him? This way saved face.

"Mercury," He answered quickly, a Roman god, Messenger to the Gods, and the liquid metal.

"I have come to believe that you may be the one to lead us to the true murderer. I had my doubts... But over time I've come to decide you are not the murderer. But I need to know how these murders are taking place."

He nodded deeply relieved at that piece of information, before thinking of another riddle. "The rich need it, the poor have it, if you eat it you will die. What am I?" He asked leaning against the rock that separated the two. Why did Naoto detest his body? Because he was so short? Didn't seem to make sense to Souji.

"You're Nothing," Naoto replied, and then waited for his reward.

"I can't tell you. You wouldn't believe it, and it's something that wouldn't stand up in a court of law anyways. I have to go the path I have been and hope that at the end I find the person. But needless to say, it's the method can be liken to throwing someone out into traffic." He stood still for a moment thinking of a new question to ask. "Are you planning to stop me?"

There was a soft sound that caught his ears, he turned towards it to find ripples in the water. Naoto seemed to be moving closer around the rock. Was this part of the game? He stood there waiting pretending not to notice when Naoto peeked about the rock itself. They were on dangerous grounds now after all. "Can not be seen, can not be felt, can not be heard, can not be smelt. It lies behind the stars and beneath the hills. Ends life and kills laughter. What is it?"

Naoto was quiet for a bit before finally replying, "Darkness and No. Though I should." He was quiet for moment more before finally giving another question. "If I tried? Seeking to apprehend a criminal is dangerous after all. It's best left to the authorities, so no excuse can be used." The silence grew again before he voiced his question, a strain to his voice that hadn't been there before. "I'm always number one, I bear nothing to show it; I am stronger then the rest, to play it you have to know it; Unlike all of the royalty, I do not have a face; there is no crown atop my head. What am I?"

Naoto was straining, the boy was too small the heat of the springs getting to him faster then to Souji, the conversation was dragging on too long. Stubborn kid why did he insist on hiding? "An Ace in a deck of playing cards. You'd lose because as stubborn as you may be, your strength doesn't match mine," he replied his voice growing firm. "Enough games Naoto-kun, you're beginning to suffer in the springs."

"No sooner spoken, then broken. What is it?"

It had gone on too long. Naoto's breathes were audible to him now, the boy was panting, he was also losing focus. Having not asked a question for Souji to answer. Souji couldn't keep this up, not if it meant endangering the younger classman. "I'll turn around if I must, but get out of the spring," he ordered, turning as he did so. Once his back was towards Naoto, he heard the soft sound of a body pushing its way through the spring. "Silence, the answer to your riddle that is."

He heard Naoto in the distance climbing out of the springs. There was a sudden splash causing Souji to turn around and look. Naoto was holding on to the side of the spring, he got to the other side of the spring, but had finally passed out from the heat before he could get out. Souji rushed over as quickly as he could in just a towel and waist deep in water. "Naoto-kun! Can you hear me?"

The teen's instinct or weight was probably the only thing keeping him resting against the wall. He pulled Naoto back, his fingers already seeking a pulse when his eyes took in exactly 'why' Naoto 'detested his body'. The detective wasn't a boy at all, pale from being covered by layers of clothes. The towel was wrapped tightly around a very clearly developed chest. Who would have thought that the Detective Prince was a Princess?

But regardless of how beautiful she was, Naoto was still dangerously overheated. He put her up on the floor before climbing out beside the girl. The drinks would still be cool, and right at that moment he had to get Naoto's body temperature down again. He grabbed the bucket and brought it and chilled water held in it. At first Souji was going to just douse the boy, but finding out the truth, he couldn't do that anymore. Instead he took one bottle and rested it against Naoto's forehead.

Her skin was an unpleasant red from the heat, her breathing was only just starting to ease up. Her hands reaching up and clutching at the towel, even in her state she realized how she was dressed? Souji shook his head before putting the bottle back into the bucket and dipping his hand in. He cupped a small bit of water and poured it over Naoto's face, letting it drip down. He needed her to wake up, she moved so sluggishly at the moment it left him worrying. A young girl posing as a boy, Souji could piece together why she might do this if he had the time and inclination. But at the moment all he cared about was the fact that there was a young woman in his arms who was dangerously overheated.

He was reaching to scoop up more water when the hands at Naoto's breasts tightened. Just before the girl righted herself and pushed him off her. His ass hit the wooden floor as Naoto turned herself around showing her back to him as she shook. He sat there and watched as she began banging her hand on the floor with increasing frequency.

"Why? Why why why why why WHY didn't you just get out of the room when I asked you the first time?!" Naoto demanded, the voice hadn't changed, still low emulating a male voice. The Detective was furious that was obvious, but considering the deception she had pulled Souji wasn't feeling all to forgiving about that.

"Because I thought I would be sharing a hot spring with a young 'man' not a young 'wo'man. After all I'm sharing a sleeping arrangement with you." He growled as he yanked her around to face him. He saw her hand curling into a fist, ready to throw a punch which he countered by grabbing her throat. He held her firm, startling her that he did it at all or with such speed.

"What's stopping you?" She asked, her voice was cold, challenging him in ways the guys never did. He could feel her soft skin, she truly had the body of a girl. Such a sudden contradiction and he couldn't say he was riding high stress at the moment. Instinct said to protect her, help her, but if she wanted to be treated like a man, he had no problems laying her out so hard she'd realize what she was up against.

He reached out behind her as he let go of her neck. Grabbing the bottle he had saved for her to drink before nearly ripping the top off. Forcing it to her lips he waited for her to defy him. But she was weak, the heat left her drained and the strength he saw in her eyes was more a front then anything else. Her hands had snapped back to her chest, holding the towel, but now her right hand slipped up to his hand. She began drinking from the bottle guiding him in how high to tip it.

"I won't tell them you're a girl, if that's what you want. But in exchange I want you to try less on being a detective and more being a teenager." He watched her eyes, which had been studying him, grow wide. A blush forming on her cheeks as she pulled away from the bottle.

"I... I don't know how, all my life I've been around adults. My peers want little to do with me. Save for perhaps foolish dates." She looked amused as she spoke, of course being the Detective 'Prince' probably afforded her a great many would be 'girlfriends'.

He had to chuckle at that, a smirk showing on his lips. "Oh? Well do you like boys or girls?" He asked and watched in his own personal amusement as Naoto started and blushed fiercely. He saw her looking out of the corner of her eye, studying him, then again all he wore was a towel. The smirk deepened as did the pain. Kanji saw her first, even if he thought Naoto a boy. Kanji had first rights to the girl.

"I... I have to go," she blurted out, her cheeks were on fire, and despite clearly being dizzy in the effort. She forced herself to her feet and out the room, to change and return back to their rooms.

It left Souji sitting alone on the floor staring at the doors. Giving her time to change and flee, while the half drank bottle of melon soda rested at his side. Picking up the bottle, he swirled it about a few times before tossing it back himself. Maybe being the Leader had a perk or two, after all he found a princess in the deal.


	2. Naoto Chapter 1

Riddle me this

Written By: Lady Lunar Phoenix

Beta: Lady Lunar Phoenix

A/N: So many things to check and update...

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The gardens of the Amagi Inn were pleasant and calming, while she sat there taking in the sight. Which she had been doing for the past several hours. Trying to calm herself back down ever since her grandpa told her to come to the Inn. Who did these people think they were putting her in a situation like this?! Naoto didn't want to go to a gathering with strangers! She was on a case! Why couldn't he respect that?

"Hey Nao-chan, you want to come with us to the hot springs?" Teddie stuck his head into the room. The blond's eyes bright with excitement a towel already in his arms. He was a curious boy, he acted as though everything he encountered was new. An odd way to behave in her own mind, which made her curious and perhaps a bit more forgiving when he walked up behind her and took her hat.

"Hey!" He put it on his head, curiosity in his eyes, he seemed happy to have caught it and she tried to stifle her automatic anger. He probably didn't know how it annoyed her to have people to do that. But then he held out something from somewhere and she only could stare. Were those blue furred bear ears?

"Here! It can be a trade!" He replied excited as he placed those on her head and were they MOVING?! He tugged her to her feet and pulled her to a small mirror. Peering excitedly at the hat on his head while she studied the ears. They 'were' moving, like little radars, oh there was an idea. Could she make something like this would radar capabilities? Probably not by hand though, she'd need detailed robotics to accomplish it. "See, they're cool, too!" Teddie commented as he reached up and rubbed the ears. How could she 'feel' that?!

"Those are interesting Teddie." She admitted before pulling the ears off, feeling an actual 'pop' at the removal. "Now I would like my hat back please." She held her hand out expectantly.

"Oh sure." With that he pulled it off and took back his ears as he handed over the hat. "So Nao-chan do you want to come with us to the hot springs? We can sing songs and do all sorts of other stuff!"

She put her back to him quickly, as she settled her hat on her head. Just to hide the blush on her cheeks at the thought of sharing the hot springs. The girls were in there now, and technically she should as well. But so long as she kept up the disguise about her gender she was shut out from the hot springs when others were in it. "No, I'll be fine."

She didn't mean to bite the words out and his sad 'ok' told her she probably hurt his feelings. She felt like she kicked a puppy, and wondered if there was something she could do to make up for it... What was she thinking? She was on an investigation, she couldn't afford to make friends here!

Nao-chan huh? It wasn't a bad nickname.

Time was passing and she was alone again, not even with a book to read, it was so like her childhood she ached and needed a distraction. 'That's right, the first victim died here. I'll see if I can narrow down where she could have been when taken.' With that plan in mind she got up and left the room. The Inn was lovely really, soft lighting, an atmosphere that was soothing to the senses. The fact that a victim came here to escape the prying eyes of the masses only to die. Well... maybe it was the cost of having an affair.

She couldn't get any further in her thoughts, her steps stilled at the sound of screaming. She hadn't even got past the sleeping quarters! Turning her steps away from where she was going she started running towards the sounds of the screams. She pulled out her gun, locking her arms down and away. As she turned a corner she saw the boys in the hallway before the hot springs.

"What was all that screaming?" She asked looking at the four. Her expression turned from alarm to confusion as she took in Teddie's wet state, Yosuke's pissed off one, Kanji's embarrassed one, and Souji's 'just kill me now' woebegone look. "I thought someone was being murdered with all that noise."

Souji turned his head to look over at her while she put her gun back up feeling annoyed. Why did they all have to act like children? Honestly running around screaming like they were being murdered! "Worried about us? I'm touched," Souji replied, a faint smile on his face as he spoke. "Seems the times got mixed up and we accidentally walked in on the girls." He explained patiently when Yosuke interjected.

"But who gave them permission to just chunk bucket's at us! It's not like we were trying to rip the towels off their bodies or anything!"

Souji was clearly their leader though he was often the most quiet of the group. He was calm, very mellow, with untucked clothes that hinted at a rebellious mentality. The more time she spent around this group, the more she spent around 'him', the more she felt like something else was afoot. Sometimes she found herself being studied even as she studied him, like he was trying to figure her out. Which was all fair, she was doing no less and if he was the killer then it showed an intelligent mind.

Yosuke seemed to be the second in command, they looked to him when Souji was distracted by something else. The guy was even more laid back then Souji, but he wasn't stupid, not if he was working at his parents store. It seemed more like the teen just used humor to defuse situations around him.

"Does this mean you forgive us?" Teddie asked looking at the detective. The boy looked at her a little anxious in his very expressive eyes. Causing her to nod slightly, even if she didn't forgive them, she could lie about it.

Teddie, well he was still far oddly childish to be any type of threat, maybe an accessory. But he had such a playful spirit that Naoto couldn't decide if she should be exasperated or amused. She knew nothing about his past, he didn't go to school, and despite his vivid blond hair and taste for non-Japanese clothes. He spoke Japanese, too, fluently to be from another country. For that matter why did he work in a costume that was clearly shorter then he was?

While Kanji was just plain hostile towards her, when she spoke he looked away. He spoke roughly towards her making her sometimes wonder what she did wrong. Out of all of them he looked the most likely capable of murdering. But despite the reports in the local station he didn't have a personality capable of killing. But that was just a surface observation made by a narrow minded idiot. Anyone with half a brain could see his hostility only came out when someone made problems for his mother. All in all he was very protective of her, and Naoto could appreciate that.

"I'm here on a murder investigation, random voices screaming in the night concern me," she retorted, as she straightened out her coat before turning to leave. She was glad that there was nothing serious going on, though annoyed as well. But she kept her eyes focused on this and that.

"Hey Naoto-kun why didn't you come with us?" Yosuke asked, fixing his attention onto the smaller girl. "Shy?"

"I-I have better things to do." Which brought up her current problem as all four guys were currently wearing nothing 'but' towels around their waists. She couldn't go in with them! She had to keep up the deception, even if she wanted to visit the hot springs. Besides, sharing it with the guys... She took off running down the hallway going back to their room. She'd put her sleep clothes on then, while they were at the springs. She'd go to the springs after everyone went to sleep.

*** Later that night. ***

It was quiet, the whole building seemed silent, she could slip out now. Maybe just a thirty minute soak in the spring and she could come back. No one would be the wiser. Slipping out from her futon she pulled out a towel for her to use and quietly crept out of the room. It had been so long since the last time she had gone to a hot spring. Having to hide herself made everything so blasted difficult when it came enjoying things.

She slipped down the hallway her eyes scanning constantly to make sure that no one that could be going to the springs. She pulled out a marker, indicating the spring was in use, before slipping into the small ready room. She nervously secured herself a spot and began slipping out of her sleep clothes. The robe was first dropped, then the pants and shirt. She didn't dress in the traditional men kimono's, that was something she couldn't do and hide her gender. She undid the hooks to her binding bra, sighing in relief as the pressure was relieved on her body. She never intended to have to wear that 24 hours a day. Then slipped off her panties and quickly wrapped herself up.

She peeked into the Spring before walking into the empty Hot Spring and finishing her preparation for the Springs. She made her way half way down the spring towards a rock near the back. Letting the soothing warmth of the water relax her tired stressed body.

'Souji's the one to focus on. Each person who has gone missing after the first two murders have ended up in his group. Strange that a new kid could be gathering so many people so quickly. Not only people, but victims of kidnappings, unless he was instrumental to their rescue. It's not Stockholm syndrome, it's an actual sincere desire to partake his company.'

She smiled at the warmth of the water, the tension in her body was slowly draining out. She began quietly washing her shoulders as her thoughts continued down the path they were on. 'He knows where they're being kept at least, he must have found out where each person is taken. The reports the police file is that each person is reported missing after they show up on TV, even if they have their images distorted and voices altered. They show up later and that's the end of it. But it's not is it? They're not 'running away' they're being kidnapped with plans to be killed as well. But why doesn't Souji just tell the police? What is he hid-' !!

The doors behind her slide open and she was charging behind the rock she had been near like she was being shot at. "Naoto-kun it's only me."

"Get out!" And so the Devil appeared while she had been thinking. She couldn't hide the shock or nervousness she felt at his presence. Without her clothes, she had no way to hide her secret! She wanted him 'out' of the spring, but what could she do realistically?

"Why? We're all men here." he walked along towards where she was hiding, though his assessment of 'men' was unfortunately misinformed. The water was a bit of a blessing, it allowed her to keep track on Souji, as he approached her. Oh this was not going to work! Why!? Why couldn't he have been sleeping? Why didn't she check to confirm instead of just walking out? Were the others outside waiting? Or would they come in after a bit?! "Naoto-kun what's the matter?"

"Nothing, now get out." she growled as she moved to keep them apart. She couldn't let him see her! 'Calm down Naoto... just keep the rock between us, he'll get bored eventually. I just have to wait him out. And hope.'

"Naoto-kun, I realize you're probably upset that the guys went behind your back and pretty much kidnapped you here. But you're acting like a child, I'm not going to hurt you, it's not a contest or anything. I just want to talk to you." She saw red at that one word. 'Child' that's what they called her at the Station to, whenever she asked a question or requested information. Just child, kid, few even addressed her by her name or as an adult. How dare that bastard talk down to her like those other pretentious stuck up...

"I'm not a child!" Naoto shot back heatedly, she struck the water with her fist before trying to bring her emotions back under control. She wasn't going to let someone she didn't know well get to her. "You want to talk then talk!"

"Not like this Naoto-kun. Not with a rock between us, nor with you clearly set on wanting to kick my ass for talking to you like this." She could hear the annoyance in his voice.

He sounded annoyed, that coupled with the sounds of his movements told her that he was trying to catch her. She tried to move out of the way, only her foot hit the rock and she went under. But she knew the direction he was moving on. So she pushed herself away and kept the rock between them. Even as she slipped the towel back on before it could escape. That was close, far, far too close, she could hear as the water settled down that he had stopped.

"Stay away from me," Naoto threatened, but it was only a bluff at this point. There was no way to escape from him if he continued the pursuit, what would he do once he found out? She'd be vulnerable, the group invited her to their little gatherings, but that was only because they thought her a boy. If they found out... They could use it to hold her to her silence. Even if they were part of the murders, she'd be helpless to stop them!

"Naoto-kun give me one good reason why I can't see you? What? You're scarred up by something?"

"Yes." That would work, given his profile Souji probably wouldn't intrude on someone's personal suffering unless invited. It'd be safer for her.

"You're lying, you answered, too quickly, for that to be the case." She sucked in a breath when he automatically called her on her bluff. She could hear the smirk in his voice, he was proud that he bested her at that! 'Well then, let's see how clever you really are Seta, Souji.'

"I am thought to be everywhere, and have only one rival. He hides within himself, and stays where ever I can not reach. Who am I? Who is my rival?" Naoto countered, a riddle for him to ponder, if he wanted to call her bluff he was going to have to match her intellect.

It didn't take long, before she suddenly heard him laugh. Something about it made her grow still and thoughtful, that laugh was, too, honest. He couldn't be the killer. "You are the Light, and he is the Dark."

'He... he bested me again...' She could only admire how quick he got that. But what to do now? She was trapped in the Hot Springs with Souji, and he still wanted an answer. Perhaps they could play this as a game... But first she had to surrender her answer. "Please respect my wishes, I just don't want anyone to see me. I detest my body."

"I make you weak at all the worst times. I keep you safe, I keep you fine. I make your hands sweat, your heart grow cold, I visit the weak but seldom the bold."

She closed her eyes as she thought about it. 'Weak at the worst time, yet it keeps me safe and fine? No, there's not enough to work with that. Hands sweat, heart grows cold, visiting the weak but rarely the bold... Those are the signs of fear... It does make a person weak, unwilling to try new things and keeping what can be considered 'safe and fine' even if they're not...' "Fear." At Souji's soft sound of approval for the correct answer she asked a question of her own. She knew the answer now, her tone carried that confidence. "Are you in any way connected to the murders and kidnappings of Inaba?"

"Yes. What is your view on the kidnappings?" She stared at the rock stunned by his words. She could hear his honesty in that answer, he told her the truth? His uncle was a police detective, he 'had' to know that by law she could legally take him into custody if she so saw fit. But he was trusting her not to? Or viewing that he was bound by their 'game' and putting himself at risk just to keep the game going. Unless... unless he felt that the risk to himself was negligible in exchange for what he could get out of her.

"I am a God, a Messenger, and a way to keep temperature." She couldn't help but smile, she was having fun! Matching wits with another person about her age, with nothing on the line really. So she opted for what she considered a simple riddle, if he knew Roman mythology. He should know what she thought on the matter, it would be a fair exchange and she wouldn't feel bad about it.

"Mercury." He answered quickly, and her heart oddly skipped a beat. He 'was' matching her riddle for riddle!

"I have come to believe that you may be the one to lead us to the true murderer. I had my doubts... But over time I've come to decide you are not the murderer. But I need to know how these murders are taking place," she admitted to her findings, as he admitted to his involvement. Both bearing a truth for each other. It was like a gift, and she felt warm with that trust. But why? Such an odd feeling, perhaps it was from that strange way it implied acceptance.

"The rich need it, the poor have it, if you eat it you will die. What am I?" He sounded relieved as he gave that question. He was looking after them, protecting the others even now. She knew about them, even if he didn't know it. But she read between the lines and knew he was looking to protect them.

"You're Nothing." Her hands rested on the rock, she was thirsty, but couldn't leave the spring yet. Not with him here, though it wasn't so bad. She was enjoying the company, even if it was through deception.

"I can't tell you. You wouldn't believe it, and it's something that wouldn't stand up in a court of law anyways. I have to go the path I have been and hope that at the end I find the person. But needless to say, it's the method can be liken to throwing someone out into traffic. Are you planning to stop me?"

She swallowed and looked down at her self, nothing but a soft body that couldn't really hold it's own in a fight. Could she stop him? If he used force on her? She crept a little closer around the rock, not enough to be fully seen. Just enough for a peek, to see what she would be up against if she tried to stop him. He was leaning against the rock staring off to the wall across from them. A casual stance with his back on the rock and his elbows resting against the rock. But it showed a firm body under his school uniform existed. More then existed she could see where the muscles were beginning to tone up, as though he was using them regularly in something strenuous.

A body like 'that'? She couldn't fathom lasting two rounds against such strength hand to hand. If he knew how to use that body she'd be...

"Can not be seen, can not be felt, can not be heard, can not be smelt. It lies behind the stars and beneath the hills. Ends life and kills laughter. What is it?"

Naoto was startled out of her thoughts as he spoke. After all they were in the middle of a game. Her thoughts forced to think away from how she could possibly try to subdue him. "Darkness and No. Though I should." She couldn't restrain him, she'd have to call the cops and that would only cause problems for him. She rested her head against the rock, why was it becoming so hard to breath? "If I tried? Seeking to apprehend a criminal is dangerous after all. It's best left to the authorities, so no excuse can be used." She was starting to feel sick, she had been in too long, but she couldn't leave with him standing there. "I'm always number one, I bear nothing to show it; I am stronger then the rest, to play it you have to know it; Unlike all of the royalty, I do not have a face; there is no crown atop my head. What am I?"

"An Ace in a deck of playing cards. You'd lose because as stubborn as you may be, your strength doesn't match mine." He replied his voice growing firm. "Enough games Naoto-kun, you're beginning to suffer in the springs."

"No sooner spoken, then broken. What is it?" He challenged her! He actually stated that he could beat her! She was angry to a point, offended by his arrogance, but was touched by his concern. He could tell already that she was having difficulties and was responding to them. She couldn't shake the feelings off, she was begin to tremble as a nauseous feeling tried to build at the back of her throat.

"I'll turn around if I must, but get out of the spring." Naoto peeked around and saw that he had turned. Forced to surrender to his orders she fled the rock and began pushing her way to the other side."Silence, the answer to your riddle that is."

She didn't pause, given proper training perhaps he could be a detective as well. If he was trying to solve the murders on his end he was already getting a taste of it. A rival for her title as the Detective Prince? Heh, if was Souji, she wouldn't mind the challenge. She'd have to step her game up if that was the case.

'He is rather handsome, with a strong body, no wonder Rise is always hanging off him every chance she gets. Then again he also saved her more then likely, therefore; logically, she'd want to be around him. He saved them all, but the other girls are so accepted for who they were.' Naoto was left in a growing daze from the heat, her thoughts dancing onto topics they never went before. 'If and who out of the three he would choose for himself?' That would also be more telling about the type of person he was.

Her hand gripped her throat in pain as she fought the bile trying to rise up from her over heated body. What felt like an eternity finally ended when she reached the other end of the spring. She tried to climb up, desperate to get out of there when her hand slipped on the edge of the spring and she fell back in. Warm stone under her fingers as she slipped into darkness and the water again.

When she finally started to come to, there was a feeling of cool water being poured on her face. Strong fingers stroking her face, touching her cheekbones, traveling down her jaw line. Instinct made her grip the towel around her chest, while she wished that cool hand would touch more of her. She was overly hot at the moment, when she finally realized 'why' she was. So who was touching her?

Her eyes snapped open, watching as Souji leaned over to dip his hand into something. But she didn't care, all she knew was that he now knew her terrible secret. All she could feel was that her happiness in finding someone like him was crushed. She shoved him away even as she turned her back to him. Shaking inside and out as she fought the tears wanting to pour down her face. 'Stupid body, he knows the truth now! This isn't fair what does he need of a useless 'girl' detective!' She felt sick with self loathing; enraged that he would see her like this.

"Why? Why why why why why WHY didn't you just get out of the room when I asked you the first time?!" Naoto demanded, she posed as a boy all this time. What could his perception of the Detective Prince be, now that he knew?

"Because I thought I would be sharing a hot spring with a young 'man' not a young 'wo'man. After all I'm sharing a sleeping arrangement with you."

The growl in his voice was almost enough to stop her in her tracks, how did he switch from calm and friendly to assertive, even aggressive so fast? Regardless of that though, she prepared to punch the guy away from from her. She had already disgraced herself just by being born a woman! Collapsing from the heat of the water only made her appear more fragile, more useless in his eyes. She'd turn to face him, only to have his hand at her throat holding her still. Instinct made her bluff, made her hide her fear with the arrogance of someone who wasn't in the submissive position. "What's stopping you?"

He could hit her, she even wanted him to. He held her in place with one hand, firm while not painful. Far better for them to fight, to let her try to regain her pride. Even if she felt like her limbs were made of lead and his strength scared her. But she would fight her fear if it meant regaining his respect.

His displeasure could be felt as he released her neck and reached behind her. He half covered her body with his own as he reached for something, clearly ignoring her anger. While at the same time allowing them to be close enough to pick up the soft scent of his sweat from the heat of the springs. He had a solid build that weakened her more just by being pressed against it.

She watched him open a bottle of melon soda before putting the mouth of the bottle to her mouth. She could feel it between them, she had to obey or face the consequences. But she was weak from the heat and, though unwilling to admit it, she felt vulnerable to his assertive behavior. She pressed her fingers against his hand and began guiding it up enough so she could drink from him. Weak, vulnerable, helpless, protected, warm, safe so many conflicting emotions swirled within her regarding the touch. Naoto never felt so protected by a man, that it drove her crazy. It implied weakness, yet she felt good about it. What was Souji doing to her?!

"I won't tell them you're a girl. If that's what you want. But in exchange I want you to try less on being a detective and more being a teenager."

She blushed at his blackmail, what an odd request... Be a teenager? How was she supposed to do that? "I... I don't know how, all my life I've been around adults. My peers want little to do with me. Save for perhaps foolish dates." 'Besides what would happen when all the girls realized I'm a girl too?'

"Oh? Well do you like boys or girls?" He was laughing at her! But it was such an embarrassing question... She started to blush so hotly before looking out of the corner of her eye at him. He was handsome, strong in body, intelligent, and he had to be brave to face her with the truth...

"I... I have to go." She blurted out, her cheeks were on fire, as she struggled to her feet. The world swam before her eyes, but she forced herself forward out of the room and to where her clothes would be. What was he doing to her? She had a case to solve! She couldn't let herself be distracted...


	3. Souji Chapter 2

Riddle me this

Written By: Lady Lunar Phoenix

Beta: Lady Lunar Phoenix

A/N: To answer Prinny Ramza, yes, when I wrote that particular line, I did note the irony and humor. It's kinda like breaking the fourth wall without realizing it!

* * *

They came like white feathers, a proclamation of a type of war that was festering between them.

_How could you betray me like this?_ It had been written in angry slashes.

_What are you talking about? I've kept your secret._ Nice crisp strokes there.

_I may not be a detective, but don't patronize me. I know you figured it out by now._

_I know what I'm doing._

_You don't know anything_

_Then tell me._

_I can't._

_Can't or won't._

_Both._

The first letter had been sent through her shoe locker, he had come early to school just to drop that one off. Her reply came during an 'accidental' bump between home room and first period. They passed notes written in growing anger at each other all day. At least Souji was getting angry, Naoto seemed collected the whole time. She even looked pleased that she had gotten beneath his skin in fact. Thus Souji stalked his way to the detective's apartment, the letters they had exchanged through out the past day beating through his head. He made his way up to the door unable to decide what he was going to do the Detective. He barely restrained himself from breaking the door down, waiting for the young detective. When it opened the only thing he had enough control to say was "Hello, Princess." Before he shoved her back into her apartment with enough force to send her to the ground.

She looked beautiful on the ground, men's slacks, blue shirt with a vivid yellow tie hanging from her neck. The hat would stay on her head through out a hurricane he was sure, the chest flat, but he knew that it was a lie. She was dressed down, almost casual, increasing the notion that she wasn't prepared for anything. But this girl was a fighter, and he couldn't help but admire how much of one she was. While she stared up at him in surprise, right before it switched to growing anger as she began to get up from the floor. 'Want to fight me Naoto-chan? Then get up, you got me in just the right frame of mind to forget you're a girl.'

He kicked off his shoes and shut the door quickly before he grabbed the tie she was wearing. He yanked her to her feet as he stalked past her feeling her stumbling after him trying to catch up to him. From there he threw her up against the first clear wall he came to, pinning the girl up against the wall using just his hands. Hands held high over her head as he glared down at her. "What were you thinking? 'Were' you thinking?" He demanded. The unofficial member, the one he hid from the group, why did she have to try so hard?

"Serving as bait," she replied, her voice low and dangerous, even now pinned against the wall stretched up by how he was holding her hands. Even now she looked defiant, one would have thought she was the one holding Souji down into near submission. He stood there looking almost straight down to see her face, while she looked up at him pressed between the wall and Souji's body. She looked so strong, but after having dealt with the Other world Souji knew she could get stronger. He could feel her sleeping Arcana nestled deep inside her, waiting to wake up. If this was how she was when she was sleeping, he ached to know what she would be like awakened. How much would she grow? Could she make him submit to her as he could make her to him?

"This isn't a fishing trip!" He snapped thinking back on the Shadows, about being forced to face a person's other self. He felt tense and scared at the same time, it was different then with Yukiko or Rise, even Kanji. Each one didn't know what was going on, they were kidnapped. But Naoto was openly challenging the murderer to come after the smaller detective. More then that, Naoto was counting on being a victim without even fully understanding the potential ending. "You'll be gone, they'll just assume you've run away. They won't think you're in any sort of danger until they find you hanging upside down from a TV antennae!"

"Are you implying you can't save me?" She asked her voice calm as she began trying to free herself from his grip. As close as they were, her writhing only served as a reminder of how slender her body was. "Are you saying I've signed my death warrant because you're not even going to try?" She looked up into his eyes, her voice was a low growl, a lone lioness facing the lion of a pride.

But if she could say anything to make his frustration worse it was that. He grabbed the cuffs of her sleeves and pinned them to the wall with one hand. With his right hand free he reached down and yanked on her tie forcing her forward while pinning her back. In a blink of an eye she was teetering on the brink of losing her balance. She was at his utter mercy now. "How does it feel, Detective 'Prince'? How does it feel to have your feet on the ground and not know what the next five minutes are going to bring, as the situation you're currently in gets thrown completely out of balance?"

He kicked her feet out from under her, releasing her hands at the same time. He didn't let her fall to the ground though, in those last moments he grabbed her arm and yanked her to her feet. Shoving the girl forward even as she stumbled and he pursued. "I go after these people because no one else can. But I don't go into it half cocked like this is some video game. There's no restart button on what I'm doing, there's no replay. No one is going to send me back in time a week to fix my screw up if someone dies."

"I'm more then just an empty headed girl with a fixation on romance." She shot back, moving as she refused to let him get his hands on her again. "But I've put myself into this situation as my last gamble. I tried to tell them they haven't got the original murderer, Kubo is just a copycat nothing more. They won't look, they won't listen because of my age. They're going to let Kubo go and take the blame for the three murders and the real culprit will be left to walk free." Her voice was heated, he could imagine this was what she was like in the springs when she went off on his behavior.

"So this is your solution? Make yourself into bait? If you die then everyone is going to realize you're right? We'll all throw a grand funeral and speak about how intelligent you were?" He began blocking her, she'd move left he'd move to block, she'd try right and he'd move there too. So all she had left was to retreat, and without thought she did so. She ended up in another room, the living room if they had the ability to notice. But it was as though two predators were fighting, they could have been in the middle of a burning building. Nothing was going to stop them. He was going to tear her down until she realized her stunt was stupid and careless.

"How dare you! How dare you talk to me this way!" she near shouted, her control snapping finally. "You can't understand what it's like to be me! I was born to a family that prides itself on the detectives that have been born from it. All my life all I hear is that it's a 'shame' that I'm a girl. No matter how many cases I solve no matter what I try to do, I'm never going to be anything more then a baby carrier for another man's child. I can't even keep the Shirogane name!" she growled out her chest heaving with her anger. If she screamed her voice would hit it's true pitch, and that was something she didn't seem to want. "I need them to understand! I need them to realize the mistake they're making before it gets worse!" She suddenly stopped, putting her back to him as she took off her hat before raking her fingers through her hair. "I'm a detective, risk is involved in my line of work. If you're not man enough to accept that then get out of my apartment."

The statement left him standing there feeling cold and hot at the same time. She scored a serious hit on him with that one remark. She was right, he couldn't protect her from everyone, the life of a detective was one with danger as an eternal partner. He fell in behind her, but she picked up on the danger and tried to dash out of his reach. He grabbed her wrist as she tried to escape his pursuit, yet she grabbed his wrist with her free hand in answer. Before he knew what happened, she had pulled him down to his knees and had his arm twisted out and rested on her thigh. She stole his balance, his posture, in a single fluid move had put him to his knees and had one slender hand applying pressure to his shoulder.

She had put him to his knees, she didn't need words after a move like this. Outweighed, smaller, and still defiant while he tried to think of a counter move. He turned his head slightly, gazing at her while she stared down at him pleased with herself clearly. "You wanted me to get upset." He finally commented softly. At her pleased smirk and nod he raised an eyebrow. "Why? What do you gain to make me want to do this?"

"Because it proves me stronger." She replied simply. "This way you respect my decisions, instead of trying to hide me away like some weak little girl."

"When have I ever treated you like you were weak?" He demanded his fingers flexing instinctively. She didn't flinch, the smile settling into her eyes even. How could she be like this? How could she not understand human interaction?

"You won't tell me the truth. You won't tell me where the victims are being taken when kidnapped. You're hiding things from me even as you say you trust me. Why would you do that if you don't think I'm incapable of handling things."

Detective novels, that's all she read, that's all she knew. She didn't know how to read a person's feelings, because she hid from her own feelings and thoughts. Focused herself purely on her intellect and tried to forsake her emotions. A 'Hard-boiled' detective was her goal, but those detectives were only two dimensional beings. They didn't show the day to day events that went on in the life of a person, rather the days of a person on a case. "You think my concern is a sign of my contempt? You think my desire for your safety is my way of showing you unable to handle the case?" He asked his voice soft betraying his anger. No wonder Kanji never made any headway with the girl even if he didn't know Naoto was a girl. "Tell me Naoto-kun, where are your neighbors during this time of the day?" he asked his voice growing hard.

"Not home, but I don't see you escaping my hold," she replied smugly.

"You have a hold on me that I can probably never break." He agreed before his voice turned hard. "But your shear unbridled, insufferable arrogance is something I'm going to break. You're so fixated on the excuses you create as to why you don't get the respect you feel is your due, that you ignore the very reason it happens. Simply put you act like a child!" He felt her nails dig into his flesh with that statement. "You think that people don't listen to you because of your age and gender alone? Perhaps the outside world does that. Maybe it's because when they tell you something you put them on ignore. You go into every situation thinking that people are looking down on you. Judging them before you even give them a chance. Because the only thing you know are the two dimensional characters in books. You have no life experiences, or understanding of the hearts that beat in people. Right now you have someone that is worried about you. But instead of seeing it for what it is, you automatically twist it into some type of misogynistic reason. You can't even comprehend that the reason I do what I do is because I'm worried about you. You just can not accept the idea that your life is important. Title be damned."

"How dare you..." her voice was trembling, she sounded like she was struggling against his words.

From the softer gentle Persona he had summoned up, he switched to one of his stronger ones. The hold he was in was good, it could hold down a grown man even, for as long as she could hold out. But it wasn't enough against someone who could adjust their strength to exceed limitations. With that he untwisted his arm as though her hands weren't bearing down on it, or on his shoulder. Then he stood up, "is that the type of men you respect? I can be that you know. I can be whatever type of man or leader you need. I can throw you to the ground, ignore you, treat you like dirt because I know what you hide under those clothes. Or I can treat you like a human being."

She tried to slap him, but he caught her hand and twisted it downward, forcing her to her toes and leaning against him. "Do you want me to break a bone or two in you Naoto-chan?" He asked his voice casual, and cruel in that casual ambivalence towards her pain.

"No," she breathed that word out her eyes locked with his. He could see her eyes, saw the pain in them. He was lost in her eyes as well, the vivid shade of color, how her hair framed her face. Oh Rise tried to get his attention, all the girls did, but there was something about Naoto that just drove him to distraction. Chie was tough, like Naoto, but Naoto's was a driven strength as well as an act. She was pretending to be something she wasn't, and under all that Detective Prince aloofness he had discovered a shy, introverted girl over the past few weeks.

His fingers slackened letting Naoto go, unable to continuously hurt her. From the corner of his vision he could see her fall back a half step, her good hand rubbing the injured wrist. He was supposed to be in control, to stay in control, but trust Naoto to make him forget that. Did she realize the nightmares he would have now? Did she realize the worry she had inflicted into him by this stunt?

"Pretend... Pretend that I will believe and trust every word you say. Then tell me the truth about what is going on." She finally asked her voice soft and even.

Swallowing a lump in his throat he finally yielded to her aggressive pursuit of the truth. "I won't be able to find you. Rise is the one who finds people not me. But even then she just locates the path that leads to where the victim is held. Once that's found it's multiple levels and you'll be somewhere at the end of that building. We only have so many days until the victim is killed."

"They'll be killed on a foggy day. Which means if I get taken away soon, you have until the next foggy night to find me before the murderer kills me." She said it so easily, as though she had no fear of dying. At the same time she rested her hand on his lower chest and waited for an answer to her unspoken question.

"Rescuing you, like the others takes time. We try to get it done all at once, but the locations are getting more difficult to enter." She was quiet when he was done, her eyes lowered, clearly thinking. Before he leaned down towards her, "I may never get the chance to see you again. If I fail this time, so forgive me." With that he grabbed her by the back of the head, pulling her in as he stole a kiss from her. For a moment all he could feel was her soft lips as her slender body pressed against his own body, knowing full well to expect a slap for this as well. Suddenly her lips parted though, her weaker hand reaching up and pulling him in. What started out as just an attempt to say what could be a final farewell, turned into something more deeper and intimate. Before she pulled away her cheeks aflame with her natural modesty.

He let her go before he slipped away on his own. Leaving the apartment before he said something he would truly regret. The kiss was bad enough, it was enough of an upheaval before her trap was sprung. Saying what was in his heart, would have to wait.


	4. Naoto Chapter 2

Riddle me this

Written By: Lady Lunar Phoenix

Beta By: Lady Lunar Phoenix

A/N: Kazel15? What did you find confusing about the last chapter? I'll PM you with an explanation if you want.

* * *

They came like white feathers, a proclamation of a type of war that was festering between them.

_How could you betray me like this?_ She could feel his anger by the indent the pen left on paper.

_What are you talking about? I've kept your secret._

_I may not be a detective, but don't patronize me. I know you figured it out by now._

_I know what I'm doing. _

_You don't know __anything__. _Oh now she felt insulted.

_Then tell me._

_I can't._

_Can't or won't._

_Both._

She found the letter in her shoe locker when she arrived, which meant that her Senpai was already at school. She went to her class thinking of her reply, after all she didn't want to disappoint her Senpai with her wording. It was clear that he was angry at her, but saying she knew 'nothing' was just a step too far. She left her class after first period and went to the second floor, 'accidentally' bumping into her Senpai as she slipped the letter into his hand. After school she retreated back to her apartment and began changing clothes. Fussing over each piece, while deciding what would make her look unsuspecting. After all, bait had to look like 'bait', she wasn't going to attract the killer if she dressed like she was prepared for him. Which meant giving up her gun, unbuckling it and setting down the hoister in a drawer. There was a knock at her door that caused her to turn and leave what she was doing, was it time? "Hello Princess."

In the moment that followed, before she could state her displeasure at being called 'Princess' her Senpai had put his hand on her shoulder and shoved her back. She expected to go back a step, not hit the ground as though she was a piece of cardboard. Was her stance that weak that she could be pushed around so easily? Her Senpai stood over her, his anger almost a palpable aura, something she had never seen before. Since the Hot Springs he had always been patient around her, this sudden act of anger left her floored. Unprepared with no idea what would happen next. But then she remembered that insulting 'princess' and her shock gave into her anger.

He was kicking off his shoes as she twisted to push herself from the ground when his hand grabbed her by her tie. It wasn't a flimsy clip on, thus she had to awkwardly follow his lead as he walked past her. She stumbled as he put her to the wall, her back hitting it with enough force to let her know he meant business. She struggled to free her hands in time as he dropped her tie but it was pointless. Before she knew it he had her hands above her head and his body against hers. A hard body pressed against her own, strength that she didn't believe he possessed containing her.

"What were you thinking? 'Were' you thinking?" He demanded. With every word it conveyed his anger at her. Yet she never felt safer then with that anger. Though she wouldn't admit it, she was afraid of going alone into this trap. Setting herself up was necessary, but necessity didn't make fear disappear. But if he was able to be angry, it meant that someone cared enough about her to 'get' angry. She'd hold on to that anger, use it to keep herself warm.

"Serving as bait." She replied, she kept her voice, low almost a soft growl. She'd show him her strength, she wasn't a weak child, a helpless girl who needed protection all the time. She wouldn't let him reduce her to that state in his mind! Even as he used his height to his full advantage, leaving her defenseless against the wall while he stared down at her. She refused to back down to him in any way. Earning his respect was on the top of her list and it if meant putting her life on the line she would do it. He was all she had left, after her appearance on TV she had been removed from the case by the police force. She had no reason left to be in Inaba, no one needed her unless she proved that the case wasn't over.

"This isn't a fishing trip!" Why was he telling her this? Did he think she got the title of 'Detective Prince' by being stupid? She knew the price she could ultimately be paying to do this. She knew it was dangerous and that she would initially look like just another run away. Unless that was how he thought of her to begin with. Just a girl to look after, was he stringing her along, pretending to take her seriously while looking after a stupid child? "You'll be gone, they'll just assume you've run away. They won't think you're in any sort of danger until they find you hanging upside down from a TV antennae!"

"Are you implying you can't save me?" Or was he implying that she had been mislead and that he wasn't the one rescuing people. Did he find a way to trick her and she was wasting her time around him? "Are you saying I've signed my death warrant because you're not even going to try?" She felt the stirrings of hot anger and betrayal at the thought. The riddles they played began to sting emotionally. Yet at the same time she couldn't ignore how strong his body had become. She could feel the harden muscles under his school uniform even as they were pressed up against each other. She could never be that strong physically only mentally.

Her hat blocked the view of his eyes, she only got a glance of what looked to be a deepened anger. He had her standing on her toes, his hand pinning her arms painfully to the wall. Grabbing her tie in his hand, he had yanked it and thus her upper body forward. Forced to stay on her toes she had to step away from the wall while her arms held her pinned back. But she couldn't go forward much either. She was helpless and alarmed. "How does it feel, Detective 'Prince'? How does it feel to have your feet on the ground and not know what the next five minutes are going to bring, as the situation you're currently in gets thrown completely out of balance?"

She felt him knock her feet out from under her, sending her flailing as she tried to stop her fall. He caught her arm yanking her to her feet while in the same move shoving her forward. "I go after these people because no one else can. But I don't go into it half cocked like this is some video game. There's no restart button on what I'm doing, there's no replay. No one is going to send me back in time a week to fix my screw up if someone dies."

"I'm more then just an empty headed girl with a fixation on romance." She shot back, moving as she refused to let him get his hands on her again. Is that all she was to him now? Was that why he called her 'Princess'? Because he thought of her as some empty headed girl looking for romance? How dare he! How could he think so little of her after she had tried so hard to be of use! Putting her on the same level as Risette?! HA! Maybe she was the fool for believing she had found someone who appreciated her! "But I've put myself into this situation as my last gamble. I tried to tell them they haven't got the original murderer, Kubo is just a copycat nothing more. They won't look, they won't listen because of my age. They're going to let Kubo go and take the blame for the three murders and the real culprit will be left to walk free." She felt hurt and betrayed and the venom of those feelings began to seep into her voice.

"So this is your solution? Make yourself into bait? If you die then everyone is going to realize you're right? We'll all throw a grand funeral and speak about how intelligent you were?" She felt like he had just punched her with that. How could he just talk about her efforts like it was as simple as that? How could he mock her dedication or her determination by implying such a thing? She was scared and he was talking about it like she was suicidal in her determination?!

"How dare you! How dare you talk to me this way!" she near shouted, losing control of her emotions. "You can't understand what it's like to be me! I was born to a family that prides itself on the detectives that have been born from it. All my life all I hear is that it's a 'shame' that I'm a girl. No matter how many cases I solve no matter what I try to do, I'm never going to be anything more then a baby carrier for another man's child. I can't even keep the Shirogane name!" she growled out her chest heaving with her anger. She wanted to cry from grief that he would betray her this way, she wanted to just fall on her knees and sob. "I need them to understand! I need them to realize the mistake they're making before it gets worse!" But she wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of seeing her break down and cry. No better then the rest of them, ignoring what she could do just because of her age and gender. She put her back to him a silent cue for him to get the hell out of her apartment. "I'm a detective, risk is involved in my line of work. If you're not man enough to accept that then get out of my apartment."

She felt cold inside, betrayed on the deepest of levels by Souji's actions. If he only saw her as some weak helpless girl, he was going to find out she wasn't. The letters had incited his anger, she'd do it again. She'd show him how cold she could be, how unfeeling she could be. Emotions were wasteful expenditures of energy that she could and would shut down. She tried to move away, but with a presence like her... like the Senpai she knew he was behind her. Letting him get his hands on her again was out of the question. He was too powerful, he'd have her at his mercy again and her pride would not allow for that! She counter grabbed his wrist when he grabbed her with her free hand, she wasn't a martial artist like Chie-senpai. But she knew the basics of a take down and several submission moves.

She took him down with it, too. Seeing him on his knees, one hand holding up his torso, his other arm being pinned by her. It excited her, it always did when she could put a strong man to his knees, when she could make them submit to her. Thus having the one person outside of her family who she craved the respect and admiration of, on his knees submitting to her was the ultimate high. She would make him submit to her, make him respect her. It was the way of all men after all, might made right.

"You wanted me to get upset." She smirked when he spoke, when she heard his injured tone. There was a vicious satisfaction she found in this victory. "Why? What do you gain to make me want to do this?"

"Because it proves me stronger." She replied simply. Let him hurt as he had hurt her."This way you respect my decisions, instead of trying to hide me away like some weak little girl."

"When have I ever treated you like you were weak?" His fingers were flexing, a typical response to help keep blood flow going. Holding his arm down over her thigh as tightly as she was only made it difficult for him. Twisting it as she did only made blood flow more difficult, thus he was going to have to appease her if he wanted relief.

"You won't tell me the truth. You won't tell me where the victims are being taken when kidnapped. You're hiding things from me even as you say you trust me. Why would you do that if you don't think I'm incapable of handling things."

"You think my concern is a sign of my contempt? You think my desire for your safety is my way of showing you unable to handle the case?" He sounded angry. Just the tone she wanted to hear out of the smug leader of the self titled Investigation Team. "Tell me Naoto, where are your neighbors during this time of the day?"

"Not home, but I don't see you escaping my hold." So there was no point in him for shouting for help. If he was willing to have people know that he got beat by a kid smaller then him in size.

"You have a hold on me that I can probably never break." His voice was firm though, did he honestly think he stood a chance? "But your shear unbridled, insufferable arrogance is something I'm going to break. You're so fixated on the excuses you create as to why you don't get the respect you feel is your due, that you ignore the very reason it happens. Simply put you act like a child!" Her nails dug into him as she took in his cruel words. How could he know about her hate of being treated like a child? "You think that people don't listen to you because of your age and gender alone? Perhaps the outside world does that. Maybe it's because when they tell you something you put them on ignore. You go into every situation thinking that people are looking down on you. Judging them before you even give them a chance. Because the only thing you know are the two dimensional characters in books. You have no life experiences, or understanding of the hearts that beat in people. Right now you have someone that is worried about you. But instead of seeing it for what it is, you automatically twist it into some type of misogynistic reason. You can't even comprehend that the reason I do what I do is because I'm worried about you. You just can not accept the idea that your life is important. Title be damned."

"How dare you..." her voice was trembling against her will. She wasn't arrogant! This was how men acted, all her life this was how men treated her and only accepted other men with any respect. Did he think that he could treat her with such cruelty and she take it? She refused to take any type of abuse from men, even him! And if it meant hiding her gender, changing her gender anything, she would do it! All she wanted was acceptance, and now the one person who she wanted to accept her the most was treating her like this? Perhaps all her knowledge was book learned, perhaps her social skills were terrible, but that was necessary! The more time she spent around people the faster they would pick up on her deception! She was sure Dojima-san already knew, he was all, but, pushing her out of the office when the hour got late. 'I have to sacrifice my social life for my job. All I have is my life as a detective, there isn't anything else left of me! I can't just give that up too! There's... there's nothing left of me otherwise...'

Out of nowhere he yanked his arm free of her grip, startling her as she fell to the floor before she scrambled to her feet. How could he break that hold like she was nothing? If he could do that why didn't he do it from the start? Why couldn't she have been born a boy? Then she would have been able to be his match! He wouldn't patronize her or look down on her like a weak little girl. He'd respect her, then, they all would. Then her chest wouldn't hurt with what he was saying to her, she wouldn't want to cry from his actions.

Then he stood up, "is that the type of men you respect? I can be that you know. I can be whatever type of man or leader you need. I can throw you to the ground, ignore you, treat you like dirt because I know what you hide under those clothes. Or I can treat you like a human being."

She tried to slap him, but he caught her hand and twisted it downward, forcing her to her toes and leaning against him. "Do you want me to break a bone or two in you Naoto-chan?" He asked his voice casual, and cruel in that casual ambivalence towards her pain.

"No,"she was scared as she spoke. While she had wanted him upset, she thought she had a chance against him. Now she knew she had no chance against him and within her fear, the desperation grew. It was a lost cause, she could never win his respect or admiration, his or anyone else. Her wrist hurt as he held it, she was forced to stay on her toes as he held her in such an uncomfortable position. But she could see it in his eyes, he couldn't keep this level of apathetic behavior up for long.

His fingers slackened letting Naoto go, but his question still bothered her. What type of man did she want or need? What kind of leader? All her feelings of betrayal aside, if his intentions were pure then he was only looking out for her. With that in mind, did she prefer a leader, a man in her life that tried to protect her from something that he apparently believed was more then she could handle? Or one that would let her go her own way and discover the truth on her own? Even if it meant her own death, without a single care about her as a person?

"Pretend... Pretend that I will believe and trust every word you say. Then tell me the truth about what is going on." She finally asked her voice soft and even. Defeat wasn't something she accepted easily. But she was left with no choice, he could overpower her easily, and her trap was still waiting to be sprung. But she didn't expect anything out of her request, he had denied her since the Hot Springs after all. No reason for this time to be different.

"I won't be able to find you. Rise is the one who finds people not me. But even then she just locates the path that leads to where the victim is held. Once that's found it's multiple levels and you'll be somewhere at the end of that building. We only have so many days until the victim is killed."

"They'll be killed on a foggy day. Which means if I get taken away soon, you have until the next foggy night to find me before the murderer kills me." Perhaps her method was wrong, perhaps allowing herself to be the proverbial 'bad cop' was the problem. It was a show of weakness, reaching out and touching his lower chest. She rested her hand against his lower ribcage feeling the strong muscles he had developed under her fingertips. Her wrist wasn't hurting badly, a mild form of disciplining for her behavior one could assume.

"Rescuing you, like the others takes time. We try to get it done all at once, but the locations are getting more difficult to enter." She found herself lost in thought, the possibility that she had just given him a cruel task finally hitting home. "I may never get the chance to see you again. If I fail this time, so forgive me." Suddenly he gripped her behind the head with a surprisingly gentle touch. His free arm wrapped itself around her, holding her to him in a way she knew from those old detective movies. But even with that knowledge it didn't prepare her for the kiss he stole when his lips touched hers. He was stealing her first kiss, and yet she couldn't find the strength to get angry. Her anger spent earlier in their private battle. But he held her tight to his body, his kiss soft against her lips and she couldn't fight this touch. A first kiss was a first kiss however; and she didn't know what to do. Her lips parted slightly as she reached up and rested her hand against his neck to pull him closer still. After a while though, the rush of her first kiss faded enough for her modesty to return. She pulled back turning her face away in shyness.

He left without a word, but that was fine. She didn't know what to say anyways, there had never been anyone who wanted her as a girl before. Naoto couldn't even remember what 'being a girl' was like. But if her Senpai wanted her that way...


	5. Souji Chapter 3

Riddle Me This

Written By: Lady Lunar Phoenix

Beta:

DYI: This was supposed to be a one shot? No really, Souji finding out was supposed to be an ONLY Chapter... Obviously things have changed...

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Recovery took time, anyone with a brain knew that fact. Even Naoto, though she tried to deny that she was tired, needed rest. Every day since her rescue, he had kept to his word and returned to her apartment to look after her. Today was the first Sunday since her kidnapping...

The actual first day since her rescue had him finding her sleeping on the floor in the middle of her apartment. She was huddled from the chill of the day, her pajama's consisting of a button on shirt and pants set. She had looked very sweet in a way, but still pale and her breathing pattern was still too weak. So he picked her up and put her back to bed before heating up the soup he had made and left. But she didn't wake up for the rest of the day.

That had been Monday, by Wednesday he found her sleeping again, but this time on the couch though there had been a sign that she had eaten on her own. But he couldn't tell if she had eaten the soup cold or hot, but he washed the dishes anyways. Took care of the apartment to the best of his ability given that this wasn't his place and he didn't know what to do in it.

But that was life for Souji, he moved around a lot due to his parents work and had to fend for himself a lot. They just were never 'there' enough to justify him 'not' learning things. Clothes didn't get washed if he didn't do it himself, food wasn't made or put in the fridge even, futons went unattended though to be fair it wasn't as though his mother was lazy. She was just busy.

It caught him as he was washing out a bowl Friday that he had turned into his parents, working three part time jobs, full time student and leader to a group looking to stop a killer. Well his parents weren't trying to do that last one. But he would have to slow down, as much as he loved his parents and knew that they loved him. He didn't like this life style. Taking Nanako for granted wasn't right or fair regardless of what she may have said.

So he would need to cut back before he turned into his parents. But for now he needed to finish making breakfast for when Naoto woke up. She would and he knew that, but he didn't know what time or perhaps how many times the detective woke up in a day. He couldn't even honestly answer as to what she liked for breakfast, only hoping that she liked eggs.

"I'm surprised you know how to cook Senpai." Naoto's voice was low and distant. But it was enough to startle him into turning around. She stood at the other end of the room, staring into the kitchen area with mild interest. She was still in her pajama's, her hair tousled like she hadn't touched a brush. Walking over as she tried to rub the sleep out of her eyes, while he turned his attention back to the food.

"Necessity is the mother of invention." He quipped lightly, though he really wished she had slept until he finished. Cooking was more for people who enjoyed it or for women. Despite his need to learn, and Naoto's objection to being shoved into a typical female role, his ego didn't exactly like to brag. But he could feel her at his side, just behind him when she finally got to the kitchen area.

"It smells delightful." she stated that with a smile while her head rested against his arm. "I can't cook, personally I've spent more time with gadgets then cooking utensils. Though I should probably learn." She looked up at him and her honest expression was enough to make him blush so he turned his face away to refocus on the meal he was making.

Her slender fingers reached to his face touching the corner of his mouth as her voice shifted to concern. "Senpai... you've been injured, what has happened? Did my... Did my Shadow do this to you?"

He blinked forgetting about the spat he had with Kanji, about the teens disapproval of Souji letting Naoto go through with her trap. They had met outside Naoto's apartment, Kanji striking at Souji for endangering the detective. Kanji was a powerhouse in his own right, leaving Souji walking away from the apartment sporting a few bruises. While they were able to work out the differences about letting Naoto use herself as bait for the Killer. It had ended quite clearly that Souji had become a rival for Naoto's affections. Needless to say it made their friendship more strained and awkward, neither bringing up Naoto in any discussion. "No, it's from something else, but don't worry about it. You need to recover."

"Senpai..." Her voice wavered then she returned to leaning against him. "I understand now why you didn't want me to go. I apologize for the worry I have caused you."

"So long as you're safe there's no reason to apologize. I just wish you had trusted me enough to talk about those things." He replied as he turned off the heat from the stove and began transferring the last of the meal over to the plate.

"I'm not used to confiding in others... Oh and don't you need another plate?" She replied as she moved away to pull open a cabinet. Though he missed her gentle warmth at his side.

"Why?"

"I can not eat all that Senpai." she explained her voice filled with a quiet humor that left him blinking. What did she mean? He could eat that much easily. "Senpai I... perhaps you have never cooked for one lone woman before but... I really can not handle this much on my own. Please share it with me."

Why... Why didn't he think of that? He always cooked for himself or for a small group. Souji was going to have to rethink the portions he made for the next few meals. He found himself laughing softly to himself for his mistake as he nodded. "I'm sorry, I've only cooked for myself, Nanako and Uncle Dojima. I'll do better next time." He promised. There wasn't enough for two people really, then again the portion she was making for herself was about a third of what he made.

"It's fine Senpai. As it is, I'm afraid I might not have the strength to even eat this much. Normally I'd be dressed by this time, but if I expend that much energy, I know I will pass out again before I eat a single bite." She admitted even as she began slipping away towards the bathroom. He didn't say anything further, instead getting the rest of the food plated. Then taking it to the dining table before retreating back to pour the drinks. When Naoto reappeared she was groomed and a little better off, the sleep wasn't so obvious in her eyes.

"Breakfast is ready," he informed her gesturing towards the table. Nodding she walked over and settled down at the table while he took a seat near her. "If it's too much or if you need help please tell me. Everyone else had family to look after them, so I don't exactly know what you may or may not be enduring right now."

"Thank you, with all three jobs and leading your team, taking time to take care of me is very kind of you." She tucked into her meal after that while he could only stare.

"How... how did you know I have three after school jobs?" He asked watching as she all but demolished a rice ball. She must have been starved for serious food. "Were you stalking me?"

"Of course, you were on the list of possible suspects in the beginning." She was so calm stating that as though reporting the weather to a bored audience. Which wasn't going to do for Souji at all, so even if it meant getting on Kanji's bad side again and another bruise...

"Oh? Well then does the Detective Prince have any suggestions on how I can avoid being caught by such a skillful sleuth next time?" He asked letting his voice dip a little lower that time.

"There's nothing you could do that would avoid my detection." Oh she was so prideful as she said that.

"Oh I think I could out think you, I beat you in the Riddles after all." He pointed out letting a bit of smugness enter his voice.

"It was a tie, I passed out before we could declare a true winner." She replied with that methodical tone of hers.

"I bet I could make it so hot you'd pass out again." He replied in the most off handed side commenting tone of voice he could managed.

"Unless you are insinuating that you would set fire to my apartment I fail to see how." She replied simply staring at him with a flat expression in her eyes.

"I told you before that my strength surpasses yours, or are you saying you need me to put my hands on you again as a reminder?" He retorted in that same bland tone.

He watched as she began trying to process his words, and slowly though with increasing speed, the color drained from her face. Then her whole face turned a lovely vivid pink as it finally clicked what he was saying. Or rather what he was 'suggesting'.

"Sen-Senpai!" And from there Naoto covered her face with her hands, there simply wasn't a 'manly' way of handing full frontal assault flirting.

"Oh I'm sorry. I thought you were old enough to handle how men talked." He replied letting his voice dip down to a soft 'weaker' tone.

"Oh I can take anything you formulate and shove it right back down your throat!" And she rose to the occasion!

"Your breakfast is getting cold." He noted playfully shifting gears to see how she would react only to watch her glare at him.

"You're attempting to make me choke on my own food!" She accused hotly and he wasn't going to deny guilt with that remark.

"Of course, what better way to get my mouth and hands on your body with justified cause." He retorted simply and watched her glare at his general direction. General direction meaning at him, but not his face, because the moment their eyes met she turned away her cheeks getting hot again.

And there they were again on the floor of sexuality that Naoto knew nothing of. Her Shadow had expressed the situation quite simply, Naoto was running from herself. She wanted to grow up so quickly to find acceptance from adults, needed a place to be accepted and welcomed. But she wasn't an adult, adulthood was gained through the experiences of life itself. There simply wasn't a away to cut through such large portions of life and arrive at adulthood. Not without losing important parts of one's self. Which in her case had developed into the near split personality type of Shadow she had manifested. Unlike the others, who were wholly of one direction in their Inner Voice, hers were going into different directions.

That was the thing about Shadows, they made you or broke you of who you would want. Naoto resonated the strongest within him. Though he never manifested a Shadow of his own, he could believe that if he had it would have been like Naoto's child self. He was alone for so much of his life, that Inaba gave him a home, it gave him a family that was there every night for him. Some people enjoyed being alone, but for himself he loved, he 'needed' to have others with him. Years of his parents job costing him place after place had left an dull, lonely, throbbing pain in his heart.

It was a common need they both had, unlike everyone who had a home, a place to stay. He and Naoto were both alone, with ultimately no place to call their own. Anyplace was just a temporary port in the sea of life.

"You didn't ask my permission the last time you put your hands on me, or your mouth on mine. Why use an excuse this time?" She asked her voice low, to the point with just a hint of nervousness in it.

"Oh... so you're saying I can have my way with you whenever I feel like it?" Souji quipped lightly.

"Senpai!" She blushed looking at the table.

He backed off at that, before he returned to his meal when she finally began to speak again, her voice thoughtful, soft and sad. "I must look crazy. My Shadow had almost two separate identities to them, which must speak very poorly of my own state of mind. What the others must think..."

"Everyone had their own Shadows to deal with, no one is going to hold it against you." He replied softly before reaching out to gently touch her hand. Without thought she changed her hand's position so she could hold his in answer. In hindsight there was still evidence of those 'Shadow Selves' in each of his friends. Yosuke could still be an ass at any given moment, Chie still tried to dominate anyone who did wrong, Yukiko was still rather delicate and princess like, Kanji still explosive, but how would Naoto show her Shadow was still up in the air.

As he sat there letting her eat he noticed a small Jack Frost type doll dressed in a police uniform with a hat and cape. She must have noticed his look because she turned and looked at what grabbed his attention. "Ahh that... Kanji-kun brought it to me yesterday along with the school work I missed over the week." she explained and he felt a stinging blow at the sight of the doll. "I'll have it taken back to the estate when I get the chance. Dolls really aren't my thing, but he put in the effort and it might have a place amid my things. The theme helps it at that." She explained before cheekily stealing one of his rice balls.

"What kind of Detective steals from the unsuspecting?" He asked softly watching her hand lead his portion to her mouth.

"Just showing that I'm better then you." She replied as she smirked tauntingly waving the rice ball at him before she prepared to take a bite.

He raised an eyebrow before leaning over and nipping her finger even as he stole the first bite from the ball. She looked at him with wide innocent eyes as she began blushing again, before taking a bite for herself. The moment hung in the air, uncertainty about what was the right course of action affecting both of them. Eventually they settled into just finishing the meal which considering the two of them, despite Naoto's previous objections, had been devoured utterly.

It wasn't until they had finished the meal and he had begun clearing the table that they finally got up the nerve to talk again. "Does it bother you that I know traditional things like this?" he asked as he moved towards the sink. Amid the soft clatter of dishes as they slid into the sink, he could hear her shifting and leaving the table.

"Does it disappoint you that I do not?" She countered as she moved to the sink, their empty glasses in her hands.

"No, I know first hand that being a girl doesn't give you a ticket to knowing domesticated skills." First hand experiencing Chie, Yukiko and Rise's cooking that is. "Though I'm curious, was your mother good at cooking?"

"I don't know. She and my father died when I was very small, too small to remember. But she was a detective like my father, it's how they met actually." She explained as he began rolling up the sleeves to his shirt.

"But, if your mother was a detective why do you reject being a woman so strongly? Your mother found acceptance after all." He pointed out gently as he got a sponge wet and ready to wash a pan.

"My mother found acceptance in foreign lands, not here. Here when someone approached my family they only wished to speak to my father and or grandfather. What is to happen when my grandpa dies? Will they just not come back at all until a male is produced? Am I to be the reason that the Shirogane name fades away?" He turned off the water, before turning to face her. But she didn't seem to notice as she continued, speaking what was inside her.

"Women in this country only find power in the entertainment industry, not in something serious as detective work. Anywhere else when my grandpa has taken me treated me kindly, are impressed with me. But not here. Where as this is my homeland, a place I should be accepted for who I am, I'm pushed aside as a... as a freak! With the advancement of technology my expertise is pushed more and more as dated, no matter how much I learn to keep ahead of it. My Shadow is right about how they see me, if my brain could be extracted and placed in a device no one would have any need or want for me." Souji dried his hands as he watched her crumbling down before him. She gripped the counter, her whole body shaking.

"No different then schools, I was more intelligent then the rest so they shunned me. My interests weren't into dolls or seeing myself as some domestic housewife in the future. So girls wanted nothing to do with me. Boys were already taught that girls don't do things like play with robots, or play with devices so I was shunned there as well... Perhaps wishing to be an adult was wrong, but I had no where else to go. Machines and books sustain only for so long. I longed for companionship, needed to make friends and all I got for my efforts were cold rebuttals. I'm clumsy with social skills I know this, I know I have more faults then anything else. But I just... I... just..." He took off the apron he had been wearing since he started cooking. Tossed it to the counter as he took her in his arms.

"Say it Naoto, say everything get it out of you. It doesn't have to make sense just say it and get it out of you." He told her as he buried his face into her soft dark hair. As she shook and held on to him with what little strength she had.

"I can't...Senpai, you're responsibility to the group... I can't burden anyone with my feelings of inferiority."

"My responsibility is to you and you alone, the case is not important right now, right now all that matters to me is you. You'll always be what is important to me. So just say it, cry, scream, whatever I won't judge you. I'm only here for you. I'll support you as will the others, no matter how different we all may seem in this team. You're not alone anymore Naoto, you're home."

With that the floodgates seemed to burst inside her, as Naoto cried without holding back. Though she was silent she sobbed against him something that he wondered how often she partook of. He sat there as the shadows grew long along the floor and she had fallen asleep in his arms. So he gathered her up and took her to bed before finishing up the kitchen. Returning to her side one more time to check up on her, only to find her eyes open and staring at him. With an eerie disconnected expression in them yet so innocent.

"Sukuna-Hikona?" He asked and watched as the Child aspect of the Shadow turned Persona nodded before sitting up in the futon. Both arms stuck out like the limbs of a puppet reaching for him. So he walked over and knelt by her side a child looking for a hug he realized. So he consented and held the child aspect of the Persona.

"Thank you. I can go to sleep now too." Her voice was off kilter the way all Shadows spoke before she sank into his arms. Tucking her back into bed, he placed a soft kiss on her cheek before he left the apartment again.


	6. Naoto Chapter 3

Riddle Me This

Written By: Lady Lunar Phoenix

Beta By:

DYI: That I had three versions of this chapter, one including Naoto's time in the dungeon before rescue. Problem being that it tore away from the POV Style I had been working on. So I had to dump it and the follow up attempt.

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The fog had been hell. Never before had she experienced such an emotional and physical drain on her person. She struggled to wake up only to pass out again shortly there after. Day after day until finally she had managed to get out of bed only to foolishly try to get across her apartment. Foolish being that she ended up passed out on the floor in middle of said apartment. Waking up long hours later in her bed again. Wednesday came around and she had managed a small bowl of cold soup before she went under again on the couch. But the food was a blessing she was starved for the most part until she had that bowl.

By Friday she could manage about an hour awake and could wake up from time to time on her own. Though she spent it mostly in bed, but she had a bonus of a few muffins and bagels she could eat also left by her Senpai. Saturday had been interesting, Kanji-kun had arrived with the school work she had been missing. He had given her the books as well as a very elaborate doll in the form of Jack Frost if he went to an old style police school. He was rather adorable, something even Naoto could appreciate as she held the doll tucked in one arm, the books in the other. But Kanji-kun refused to come in or stay, he took one look at her and turned away before telling her to get better soon. That everyone missed her and then he was gone walking quickly away. She could never figure him out, but she had soup to make and homework to do.

Which made Sunday morning more interesting as she woke to the sound of movement in her apartment. Who was in her kitchen? Yakushiji was a possibility, but she hoped it was her Senpai. The soups had been very delicious and though it was unbecoming of a detective she found herself hopeful that he had come. She struggled to her feet, wondering what her Senpai had made for her today, she had finished the soup yesterday. Reaching the door provided her with a pleasant sight, Souji standing over the stove with an apron on and clearly cooking.

She never could fully believe that her Senpai was the one cooking her meals. That a man with so much on his plate would have the time to look after her was quite generous. Yet at the same time she never fully was able to believe that he was the one doing the cooking. A part of her figured he was just helping Nanako-chan cook the meal, or that he selected it from a menu. "I'm surprised you know how to cook Senpai." Naoto's voice was low and distant. Even from a distance she could tell he was cooking, not simply reheating the meal. She watched him start at the sound of her voice and turn towards her, but in doing so causing her to question her vision.

For a brief moment she wondered if she should leave her bedroom considering her state of dress. Then again she'd only waste precious energy if she did so she finally opted to just walk out and join him. After all he'd already seen her time and again when he came to her apartment. But something was off about his face, and she rubbed her eyes as she walked over hoping to see if she was mistaken or not. But as she got closer she noticed that her eyes hadn't misled her, he was hurt for some reason. The corner of his mouth and his nose showed signs of being struck.

"Necessity is the mother of invention." He quipped lightly.

He looked odd to her, in a kitchen apron, cooking with so much skill at her stove, yet it made her feel warm inside. Even as she worried over his face and if he had gotten hurt, possibly by her Shadow. She hadn't been awake when the battle was taking place and she worried if, having seen that Shadow, she had lost more respect then she must already have.

"It smells delightful." It took more courage then she felt actually to reach out to him. He felt so firm under her fingertips and warm, so very warm, without thought she rested against him. "I can't cook, personally I've spent more time with gadgets then cooking utensils. Though I should probably learn."

But now she was sure that her vision didn't lie to her, he 'had' been hurt. She could see it faded on the corner of his mouth and the corner of his nose. Someone who was right handed struck her Senpai? But why? She'd have to look after him better once she regained her strength. Did her Shadow? Did her madness do this to him? "Senpai... you've been injured, what has happened? Did my... Did my Shadow do this to you?"

"No, it's from something else, but don't worry about it. You need to recover." It was there in the way he didn't look at her once he realized she was addressing his injured state. The way he was, without words, telling her to not ask questions. Before she may have rebelled, but she didn't have the energy at the moment and he was cooking. She didn't want to imagine what would happen if such good smelling food was ruined. It just wasn't proper to ruin such food that he was kindly making.

"Senpai..." She could feel her voice begin to break when she began speaking. But she got it under control as she struggled to swallow her pride. "I understand now why you didn't want me to go. I apologize for the worry I have caused you."

"So long as you're safe there's no reason to apologize. I just wish you had trusted me enough to talk about those things." The dreams made this so weird for her, never having to depend on others made this moment so awkward for her. In the books she adored men didn't do stuff like this. Yes, they saved the day solving crimes and what not often saving the weak girl from the terrible villain or stopping a nuclear strike by arriving in the nick of time. They didn't cook breakfast in aprons, they didn't care for people with a gentleness that belied the type of strength they had. She had been weak in front of him, angry, manipulative, lashed out, gave in, surrendered her mouth to him and yet for all that he stayed. Looking after her, devoting what little time he had to himself to one socially awkward teen. "I'm not used to confiding in others..."

Her eyes shifted down to the food he was plating, and while not professional in presentation, having not been given solid food for days made her appreciate it all the more. Though, he was piling an awful amount of food on a plate that she was apparently expected to eat. A man's portion no doubt, after all he had started out mainly feeding himself or a small group. "Oh and don't you need another plate?"

"Why?"

"I can not eat all that Senpai." she was right, he didn't realize he was making too much for her. It was amusing and she could hear it even in her own voice. That warmth inside was reinforced as she moved to take out another plate. "Senpai I... perhaps you have never cooked for one lone woman before but... I really can not handle this much on my own. Please share it with me." She had to mentally test out that statement. That she had vocalized that she was a woman, not a man. She put the plate down and began dividing up the food as she thought about it, standing in her bed clothes. What would her Grandpa think if he saw them? What would Yakushiji-san think the man worked so hard to look after her Grandpa and her? He really didn't deserve a shock.

"I'm sorry, I've only cooked for myself, Nanako and Uncle Dojima. I'll do better next time." He promised.

It was an honest mistake, there was no need for an apology as far as she saw it. "It's fine Senpai. As it is, I'm afraid I might not have the strength to even eat this much. Normally I'd be dressed by this time, but if I expend that much energy, I know I will pass out again before I eat a single bite." She backed away and left to the bathroom, the least she could do was brush her teeth and wash her face. Now that she knew what was going on she felt safe enough to go, having someone just freely in her apartment was something she wasn't used to. She shut the door before catching a glimpse of herself in the mirror.

The clothes were to help hide her gender in the event someone broke in, after all she didn't wear the bindings all day and night. Looking at herself knowing Souji was outside made her all the more critical about her personal appearance. Only to have her critical eye find every flaw, from her overly pale skin tone to the way her clothes made her look so tiny. Everything she wore was designed to make her look more taller in an effort to hide her small frame. Yet now she looked smaller, more like a child trying to pretend to be an adult.

She turned from the full length and went to the sink, steeling herself to stay awake for the ordeal of having a guest. Perhaps she could last a meal and a brief conversation, the meal her Senpai was making smelled delicious. Of course that could have been due to the fact that she hadn't eaten a real solid meal in days. She hoped that the meal would be a real step towards recovery and being able to return to her work in finding the murderer. The chloroform had been a good idea, but the fact that this person who used it readily believed she had gone under so fast showed inexperience. Then there was the question of how he got her to that location so fast?

"Breakfast is ready," she was leaving the bathroom when he had her pulled from her thoughts by that statement. She focused once more on him, noticing the table with the food presented on it and nodding politely in answer. Walking over to the table, she sat down pulling the seat close under her as she looked at the meal he had presented. More proof that he cooked to feed rather then to impress, with it simply placed on the plate. But the aroma was delightful after a long haul of no food only soups and the occasional bagel. "If it's too much or if you need help please tell me. Everyone else had family to look after them, so I don't exactly know what you may or may not be enduring right now."

"Thank you, with all three jobs and leading your team, taking time to take care of me is very kind of you." Always polite, it's what a dignified gentleman showed people. Even if he knew her truth for quite some time now, she still occasionally fell back onto that stereotype for herself. After all she needed something stable to fall back on. Her Shadow? Her Persona? Had been active, whispering in her mind and dreams about her Senpai. She felt like she was tripping, stumbling about when he was near her. His assertive strength impressed and pleased her, but his gentle side that he displayed when they were alone confused her.

"How... how did you know I have three after school jobs?" She stopped looking at him and was fixated on the rice ball she had taken up. Eating it with quick bites as her stomach was threatening to do a very ungentlemanly growl. "Were you stalking me?"

"Of course, you were on the list of possible suspects in the beginning." The rice ball was gone in seconds allowing her to give a moment to look over the selection her Senpai had provided for breakfast.

"Oh? Well then does the Detective Prince have any suggestions on how I can avoid being caught by such a skillful sleuth next time?" His voice dipped down a bit sounding a bit... wounded perhaps?

"There's nothing you could do that would avoid my detection." She did everything in her power to be thorough in her investigations. She could accept nothing less of herself.

"Oh I think I could out think you, I beat you in the Riddles after all." She could hear his smug tone and was holding on to her manners. Because the other option made her look more childish and that wasn't going to work for her. They never finished the game, and she never thought to continue it after he discovered her gender.

"It was a tie, I passed out before we could declare a true winner." She replied with that methodical tone of hers. But if he was asking for a rematch she had a host of riddles she could use on him. This time without passing out.

"I bet I could make it so hot you'd pass out again."

"Unless you are insinuating that you would set fire to my apartment I fail to see how." Really, a calm mind solved problems far more quickly then simply losing one's patience. That particular rice ball looked rather delicious actually, even if it was on her Senpai's plate.

"I told you before that my strength surpasses yours, or are you saying you need me to put my hands on you again as a reminder?"

"Sen-Senpai!" What... what type of casual conversation was her Senpai instigating? She could only stare at him, but mentally she recalled the hot springs and how he looked in nothing, but a towel. More then that she recalled their fight in her apartment, how it felt to have him pin her to the wall. Or how it felt when he held her and stole her first kiss. For a moment she felt terribly light headed as she tried to think. Then she began blushing so hard that she covered her face with her hands and lowered her head in embarrassment.

"Oh I'm sorry. I thought you were old enough to handle how men talked." She heard his voice hit condescending and embarrassment was flung out the window screaming all the way down.

"Oh I can take anything you formulate and shove it right back down your throat!" Perhaps she would have to read up on the subject, and she knew that such activities didn't follow a clear path. But if he was going to think her a child with no ability to learn such adult things!

"Your breakfast is getting cold."

"You're attempting to make me choke on my own food!" he was having fun teasing her! She could hear it in his voice, the way he looked at her!

"Of course, what better way to get my mouth and hands on your body with justified cause."

Naoto was floored, though she glared at his general direction. Due to her deception about her gender she had never dealt with anyone talking to her this way before. It wasn't in the books she read, nor had she ever been confronted by such things. Confused by such unique attention she kept her eyes lowered to her plate after a bit. Could someone be interested in her? When empathy caused nothing but pain, logic was all she had. But the idea that someone as handsome and important as her Senpai talking like this was a mystery to her. Was he talking like this to provide comfort by teasing her? Or was he talking like this because, somehow, someway he liked her?

Going back to the first time he kissed her, a shocking way to end an argument, it seemed more then likely. Men simply did not kiss woman on the mouths unless there was a reason. But what reason could he possibly have for kissing her? In terms of the group he led there were three more suitable candidates with either looks, personality, or supportive mentality. She was smart yes, but men didn't like 'smart' women. 'Smart' women were a threat to their masculinity, they felt their pride bruised when a woman corrected them or showed them up. Among the other classmates there were two other woman who wanted his attention that he turned down as well.

She would have been fine, admiring him from afar, but now he had awaken parts of herself she didn't think about before. Sparked an ache within her that she was sure to amount to nothing. "You didn't ask my permission the last time you put your hands on me, or your mouth on mine. Why use an excuse this time?" She kept her voice low as she spoke, just asking this question took more courage then she felt.

"Oh... so you're saying I can have my way with you whenever I feel like it?"

"Senpai!" How could he suggest such a thing? What if the other girls heard him talking like this? Did he talk to the other girls like this or was it just her? But the same question as before rose up within her. Why? Why her? She doubted they were anywhere near as mentally damaged as she was. After all what else did you call a person who's very Shadow displayed a slow steady burn towards multiple personalities? If it ever got out, if people were willing to accept the concept of Shadows and it got out that she had one so mentally damaged. What would happen to her reputation, what would happen to her 'family'?!

"I must look crazy. My Shadow had almost two separate identities to them, which must speak very poorly of my own state of mind. What the others must think..." Four proud generations of detectives only only to be destroyed by one mentally unstable girl.

"Everyone had their own Shadows to deal with, no one is going to hold it against you."

His voice was as infinite as the inside of a diamond. From playful to serious, calm to angry he switched and settled into different emotional roles better then an actor she decided. So much so that when his hand gripped hers in comfort she turned her hand over to so that they were holding hands properly. Akin to lovers, though her mind was still worrying over the last thought. He was busy leading a team and running three part time jobs. But while he was willing to be her emotional support when she desperately needed one, who was his? Who comforted him when he needed someone?

When she finally found her nerves again she found him staring at something on the couch. Turning her head she caught sight of the little doll that Kanji-kun had made. "Ahh that... Kanji-kun brought it to me yesterday along with the school work I missed over the week. I'll have it taken back to the estate when I get the chance. Dolls really aren't my thing, but he put in the effort and it might have a place amid my things. The theme helps it at that." She explained, as she decided to try and lighten the mood a bit on her own. Which involved stealing one of his rice balls, after all she was still a little hungry and he wasn't making a move for it.

"What kind of Detective steals from the unsuspecting?" He spoke surprisingly softly as he sat there.

"Just showing that I'm better then you." She was smirking as she answered, after all she knew how boys played. Taunting was a simply game that she could get involved in. She waved it before him before bringing it closer to eat for herself. But what she didn't anticipate, after all such a thing seemed impossible to happen, was him leaning over and taking a bite from that ball.

She froze in shock at his actions, the feeling of his teeth lightly grazing one of her fingers before his lips touched them as he bit through the rice. Such an intimate act from him left her eyes wide. Blushing she lowered her head as she hurriedly bit into the ball itself. A second hand kiss perhaps, but in that moment all she understood was that he did things to her she didn't know how to deal with. They didn't speak, there was no teasing or looks between them. But Souji's plate was her's to pick from to continue trying to satisfy her hunger.

It wasn't until they were clearing the table that either of them found the nerve to speak. Once again with him taking the lead. "Does it bother you that I know traditional things like this?"

Such a question amid the soft sounds of the glasses and plates being carried to the sink. His knowledge threw her understanding of gender roles out the window. "Does it disappoint you that I do not?"

"No, I know first hand that being a girl doesn't give you a ticket to knowing domesticated skills. Though I'm curious, was your mother good at cooking?"

"I don't know. She and my father died when I was very small, too small to remember. But she was a detective like my father, it's how they met actually." She explained as she watched the nothing at all. She didn't really remember her parents, distant strangers lost to the fog of time.

"But, if your mother was a detective why do you reject being a woman so strongly? Your mother found acceptance after all." He pointed out his voice was gentle the lapping of water from the sink mixing well with it.

"My mother found acceptance in foreign lands, not here. Here when someone approached my family they only wished to speak to my father and or grandfather. What is to happen when my grandpa dies? Will they just not come back at all until a male is produced? Am I to be the reason that the Shirogane name fades away?" No one had ever asked that question of her, about her long dead parents.

"Women in this country only find power in the entertainment industry, not in something serious as detective work. Anywhere else when my grandpa has taken me treated me kindly, are impressed with me. But not here. Where as this is my homeland, a place I should be accepted for who I am, I'm pushed aside as a... as a freak! With the advancement of technology my expertise is pushed more and more as dated, no matter how much I learn to keep ahead of it. My Shadow is right about how they see me, if my brain could be extracted and placed in a device no one would have any need or want for me."

"No different then schools, I was more intelligent then the rest so they shunned me. My interests weren't into dolls or seeing myself as some domestic housewife in the future. So girls wanted nothing to do with me. Boys were already taught that girls don't do things like play with robots, or play with devices so I was shunned there as well... Perhaps wishing to be an adult was wrong, but I had no where else to go. Machines and books sustain only for so long. I longed for companionship, needed to make friends and all I got for my efforts were cold rebuttals. I'm clumsy with social skills I know this, I know I have more faults then anything else. But I just... I... just..." She wasn't welcomed by her classmates, shunned by them, the adult world as well. Perhaps that was the biggest problem, the reason why she never thought of her mother. Because in the end, it meant that she would never be accepted by her homeland. Unaccepted by one's peers, society, and country? Perhaps her mother was just stronger then her, but Naoto could not bear that degree of rejection. Being alone, unwanted while surrounded by people who spoke the same language. Her father, in marrying her mother had given her a home and a place. But look at the cost! Naoto lost both of her parents, and was now alone. Though she was proud of being of such a noble line, there was still that lingering fear. If she gave her heart to someone, what would happen if a criminal seeking revenge went after 'them'?

Warm strong arms wrapped around her, making her feel both vulnerable yet safe. "Say it Naoto, say everything get it out of you. It doesn't have to make sense just say it and get it out of you."

"I can't...Senpai, you're responsibility to the group... I can't burden anyone with my feelings of inferiority." She didn't know when he had taken off the apron, nor did she know what to do about the feeling of his face buried in her hair. It was a pleasant feeling, safe and secure. But she held back the tears all the same.

"My responsibility is to you and you alone, the case is not important right now, right now all that matters to me is you. You'll always be what is important to me. So just say it, cry, scream, whatever I won't judge you. I'm only here for you. I'll support you as will the others, no matter how different we all may seem in this team. You're not alone anymore Naoto, you're home."

Home. A word that had little meaning to Naoto save when she walked through the front doors of the Shirogane Estate. A place where she could rest, dream, hope so many things she never found before. Something she didn't realize she needed until that moment he spoke those words. Suddenly the tears she never shed were brought out, a home for her outside of the estate. From there she found herself telling him everything. Through her tears she spoke of her pain and loneliness, the frustration as she tried to live up to expectations.

He stroked her hair until she fell asleep, the feeling of his firm muscles under her hands and his soft touch coaxed her finally into falling asleep. Probably the most restive sleep she had in a long while. But even as she fell asleep she didn't forget, she'd look out for him as well. If he was going to be so good to her, she could do no less then offer the very best of her abilities to him.


	7. Souji Chapter 4

Riddle me this

Written By: Lady Lunar Phoenix

Beta:

A/N: I have been sitting on this chapter for a long time now... It's what I want, yet for some reason I can't make it feel 'right' being spoken... I guess it's because the set up is so vastly different.

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He felt numb as he walked along the road back to the house, his brain was on autopilot unable to receive any messages from the world around him. The keys were pulled out of his pocket before he opened the front door of the house, knowing it was empty. No one was home anymore, Nanako was fighting for her life in the hospital, and Uncle Dojima was still under the doctor's care. So the lights were off when he walked through the front door. No voices greeted him as he entered the house once again by himself.

The silence made him feel sick to his stomach, as he slumped against the wall while tugging off his shoes. Ever since Nanako had been kidnapped he had kept his frustration at letting her down inside. There had been no way to explain to his uncle about the warning letter, he couldn't just shove his hand through the TV, not after the last time he nearly got pulled in. Especially after Teddie had bit him just by seeing a hand in there. But that resulted in him being locked up and unable to protect Nanako when the murderer came. Or was he the murderer? There was something that wasn't clicking in Souji about that whole affair.

In the first day of her absence he had found himself running the group nearly raw, to the point where they had to hold him back. Everyone had been driven to rescue his little cousin, but at the same time there was a limit to how far they could go. It wasn't until Naoto pushed him out of the way of an attack and was knocked out for it that he called it a day. That moment, seeing her out cold had froze him to the core, even as the others tiredly helped her up when she came around. He couldn't do this, not to her nor to the rest of the group. Despite her protests that she could carry on he couldn't anymore, the risk being taken was just too high for them. It broke his heart to leave Nanako behind, even for a day, she was innocent of any wrong doing. Targeting her because of him bothered him far more then he was willing to show the others.

He personally looked after Naoto, the others had their families to look after them, but Nanako was so young she couldn't even leave the hospital. The personal beating he gave himself came nightly, listening to the silence of the house. Cooking dinner was hell, if he turned the TV on he forgot that Nanako wasn't there, that Dojima wasn't returning. If he turned it off he remembered that they weren't there. How could anyone consider him a leader, when he couldn't even look after his own family? The guilt of that failure followed him through the hospital corridors when he visited her. Only when he was with his friends could he forget for a while that he had let her down.

Today however; had been pure hell even though it started out rather well. With Naoto coming to present him with a suspicion she had on where the next of her stolen items could be. She had put the walls back in place once she had recovered, so those quiet moments when her feminine side truly showed were gone again. But he knew they were there, under the surface thus he indulged in every chance he got to be with her. He couldn't go to her, not with Kanji's over protectiveness instead she came to him because of a case. He savored every chance to meet her, invited her once for lunch on the roof and was pleasantly surprised to find she loved California Rolls.

Most importantly, he saw that he had weakened her walls around him. She was more prone to laughter, tears, more human responses then what that cold robot would have wanted them to believe. When she showed her concern and protectiveness towards him, it made him smile as well. She skewed gender roles so easily, wanting the male role of protector. Though he understood that there were risks that were involved in trying to win her to him. As she disregarded a love letter out of hand, going so far as to willingly shred it without a glance. On one hand, she had spent so many years fixated on being a detective; that she probably didn't realize how it would hurt the person to be so casually disregarded. It made him think of Ai in fact. But on the other hand, by her point of view, a love letter to a stranger was a fools hope. That the person should know 'her' before they assume they 'love' her.

Thus he had stayed quiet and waited for openings to her heart.

"_I'm glad you're a girl."_ Her surprise had been worth saying that._ "Perhaps what I think is selfish, but I'm glad. I realize that you've had a hard time growing up because of this, but I can tell you that not all guys think like those others. Some of us get bored with vanilla." _He watched her fumble with that, blushing and looking down nervously. The more he pulled her towards him the happier he became.

They had found the supposed Phantom Thief, only to find it was the very same man that had given him the first card. Concern overrode everything as he wondered if he had slipped up again and brought danger to Naoto's door by giving her the first card. The knife the 'Phantom' had produced worried him, but before he could do anything Naoto's voice called him back. The knife was fake she said and sounding very agitated as she spoke. He backed down as the stranger ran off, yet oddly Naoto didn't seem the least bit interested in stopping the thief. Didn't she want her property returned to her?

But as she began to explain the knife's history, he could hear the coming storm in the way her voice trembled. It amused and flattered him that she would react so strongly towards his actions. Then the storm broke as she tore that hat off her head and started chewing him out. It was nothing like their first fight, she was trying to dance around the issue of her anger while trying to get her point across.

Kanji had found them, the sound of Naoto's shouting must have alarmed him. But in that moment Naoto took it to gather herself up emotionally and storm off in her fury. Leaving Souji to explain that Naoto was in the middle of another case. It wasn't a welcome break up from their 'fight', he had found the moment when he could tell Naoto how he felt only to be interrupted. Which left him with an overwhelming desire to throw Kanji into the TV. Not that Kanji was all that thrilled with Souji's nearness towards Naoto.

That being said, it didn't take away his loneliness as he looked about his home from the entryway. With that he walked forward into the living room as he flipped on the light switch. He wasn't hungry, hadn't been seriously hungry since Nanako was put in the hospital, so he went after a small bag of crackers for his dinner. All the while wondering if he had another chance to tell Naoto his true feelings before he would leave. Once he had his chips he sat down at the table and listened to his inner voice complain about all his short comings.

His whole body felt pain, had been feeling pain as he hadn't bothered to properly seek medical attention. His body was a map of bruises from his battles in the Other World, that made it painful to do much of anything. Between that and his mind, it took a moment before he came to realize that someone was knocking on the door. He brushed it aside, unwilling to deal with any form of company. Except this person was apparently not going to take 'no' for an answer.

"Open this door Senpai! I am already aware that you are in there!"

Naoto called through the door with a firm, demanding voice and as much as he loved to be around her. Right now his mood was so dark he couldn't trust himself around another person. Much less someone he was in love with that was blind to it. The noise stopped and he was grateful that he wasn't going to have to deal with Naoto. Only to hear the sound of the front door opening then closing, which left a resounding 'what the...' in his head. She couldn't have. She was a 'detective' there was no honest way that she would resort to...

He was out of his seat and at the hall leading to the front door when he found her. Patiently removing her shoes and putting on a pair of existing slippers as though she had been formally invited. Like she didn't just pick the lock to the front door. He didn't say anything for the first few seconds then he braced his hands on either sides of the hallway.

"I had no idea that you were into breaking the law."

"When you are as small as I, as young as I, you learn to bend and or break rules to get your point across." She replied crisply as she started walking down the hall towards him. "Now considering the fact that you openly ignored my polite attempt at entry. May I assume that this is going to be as it was when you came to see me pre-kidnapping?"

"You come any further into this house, then maybe it will." He replied his tone flat, unamused and unenthusiastic.

She walked right up to him, unafraid of any potential repercussions and gave a mere polite, "I see. Very well then, I guess tonight is another fight."

With that she ducked his arm and walked into the house itself, removing her hat as she did so. He watched her as she moved, her pure spunk making him smile to himself despite her rude way of getting to him. Anyone else would let him stew in his own despair, use soft words to try to enter his private world of grief. Trust Naoto to kick the door down and stroll in like she belonged in his world. Stroll in like she owned 'him'.

He pushed back from the hallway and began to follow her, watching as she place the hat on the table before unbuttoning and sliding the coat down her slender arms.

"Tsk, chips are all you plan for dinner tonight? That is not healthy Senpai." she pointed out as she draped her coat neatly over one chair before she undid the cuffs to her shirt and began rolling up the sleeves. The next thing to go was the hoister for her gun, and he couldn't deny how hot it was to see her removing all of this with such professional calm.

"Sorry, I didn't realize I would be having guests. Should I try to make a suitable three course meal for you, Shirogane-sama?" He replied his voice tight, hinting at his annoyance at her. Then again what could he do with her being here. All the while the walls he kept around his own feelings were at their thinnest.

"If you plan to do so, do it for yourself. I'd rather not see you starve yourself over these events." she replied while her hand went up to her chest, fiddling with something.

"Don't patronize me, Naoto-kun. I can take care of myself." He pointed out as when she lowered her hands and seemed to relax. A soft sigh escaping her lips and the sight of her shirt shifting just so, indicating that she had undone the binding bra.

"Can you? I have begun to doubt that in all honesty." She replied turning to face him, his guess proven right. She had undone the binding bra, making her delicate build even more evident then before.

"What makes you think you can make that call exactly? I think you're forgetting your place in our group or who the Senpai here is." He replied firmly standing over her, looking down and trying to decide what to do with her.

"I know that you are my Senpai, my Senpai and leader. I know my duty to respect you as my Senpai, and obey you as my Leader, but as your follower I am also tasked with ensuring your safety as well." She held her head up high, proud of who she was and not the least bit ashamed to show it. With those words she had lifted up her hands and grabbed the top button on his shirt. "And I do not like what I see here Senpai."

She was undoing his shirt, which hid the numerous bruises he gained from that battle against Namatame. He never did ask to be healed, his own personal atonement for making Nanako wait so long for him. But he didn't want Naoto to see them, she was interested in strong, intelligent men. How could he keep her if he was anything less then that? So he reached up his hands, grabbing hers and forcing them down in answer.

"You've taken off your coat, undid your bra and now you're trying to undo my shirt. Perhaps it's me, but I could very easily misread this as you coming on to me." He pointed out his voice a low, more husky tone. He expected a blush and her looking away, it was her typical response to anything he said or did that indicated intimacy between them. But he didn't get both, her face took on that modest shade of blush, but her eyes stayed focused on him and quite defiant.

"You may be bigger then me, stronger as well. But I'm not backing down on this Senpai and if we have to fight it out then I will do it." She replied her voice firm and defiant.

"You may be smaller then me, more delicate. But I'll take you down so hard you'll wake up next week." He retorted returning her words with a threat that she scoffed at with her expression.

"I've seen your strength Senpai. I think I am more then capable of handling it." She informed him with some form of confidence that he couldn't fathom. She had intentionally discarded several things that she used to reinforce her male persona. Making him notice her as she truly was, a girl in boys clothes. They were steps, small steps, but steps away from her normal rejection of her gender. It was incredibly alluring and if not for the current situation...

Her fingers were at his shirt again, trying to undo the buttons as he stood there which made him have to stop her. "So apparently I've become a disappointment to you Naoto-kun, care to explain in what way I've failed you?"

"As a leader you have done fine. You have led us through to every victory we've had, however; you have allowed yourself to suffer injuries that could easily be mended." She pointed out though she didn't try to pull back her hands that he held.

"They're not serious injuries Naoto-kun, Yukiko's magics should be spent on more serious ones." He replied intending to comfort the smaller detective only it didn't seem to reassure her in the slightest.

"Why will you not show me your chest then." She didn't ask, her tone implied she knew why. Three buttons down and she was quite the determined detective. "Why do you keep throwing yourself into life or death situations with no concern for the consequences?"

"I thought you said the knife was fake." He pointed out quite willing to return to her original ire of him from earlier. Watching as the corners of her lips turned down in recollection of their previous situation.

"It is a fake, however; foolishly throwing yourself in front of a potentially lethal situation is not something you should shrug off so easily." She retorted looking up at him, the disapproval in her eyes clear as day. It occurred to him then, for the first time in fact, that she was much smaller when she got out of her shoes.

"Foolish? You mean that if someone threatens you with a knife I should just stand back and let it happen?" He asked his voice suddenly dropping into icy tones as it caused a memory to return. "Maybe like how I let Namatame take Nanako-chan and put her in the TV?"

"The knife and the case are two different things! You can not be blamed for the case. The letter threatened if you rescued one more person, it doesn't make any sense that he would come after her before another victim was chosen in the first place!" She retorted, staring up at him fiercely though it did cause him to store that bit of info into the back of his mind. After all, if Namatame 'was' the murderer why send him a threat then carry it out the same night before giving Souji a chance to back down? In a day or two he'd think on it, but for now all that registered was that Naoto was being difficult, invasive, and trying again to take off his shirt. Proving that Souji had, in fact, started developing a masochistic way of handling his grief.

"They may be different, but they are linked. It's my actions that are being called into question." His eyes were narrowed as he spoke, his tone sharp stating his anger indirectly. Leading the group was exhausting, chasing Naoto was mentally exhausting as well. Tired and drained he didn't know how much more he could give so being called into question like this only left him with anger. "Tell me, Shirogane-sama, why did you 'really' come here?" His voice low, a growl as he pushed past her and stalked his way to fridge to grab a drink.

"I came here because I am concerned for your safety. It upsets me to see you endangering yourself for things outside of your control." She answered following him, determination to get this resolved almost something he could hear in her soft padded footsteps.

"Nanako-chan isn't someone who was outside my control! Nor are you!" He shot back turning to look at her. Which was a bad move, allowing him to see her in her version of righteous fury.

"I am under 'no' man's control, I do as I will when I will, and no man shall tell me otherwise." She retorted heatedly as she stormed up to him in her rendition of getting into his face. If not for the fact that she was so small that the top of her head reached his shoulders.

"I myself will tell you otherwise Naoto-kun. Get out of this house before you drive me to do something that I may deeply regret later on." He opted to abuse his height over her by leaning forward, looming in fact.

"I'm not like the other girls, I am not backing down nor will I break from anything you show me Senpai. Do your worst I can take it like a man even if I'm not." She retaliated reaching for his shirt again. In answer his own hand snapped out and he fisted her shirt as he yanked her towards him even closer then before.

"You touch these buttons again Naoto-kun and I'll start taking off your shirt." He threatened coldly and watched the dispute in her eyes. A man would have no trouble, they could take a shirt off without question. But a woman, ah a woman with those breasts of hers couldn't. So the ball was in her court.

She stood there frozen for a moment, debating something inside her head that he could see behind those lovely eyes of hers. Fear and determination waged a battle in her mind as she stood before she set her jaw. With one hand she reached up and undid the first button to her shirt herself. The second was the next to go, her courage faltering as her fingers danced against his hand and the third button. Even if it scared her, he could see in her eyes she planned to follow him all the way down.

But he couldn't take her there, which only angered him more as he struggled to redo her buttons while she looked up at him. They didn't know after all... When Namatame's Shadow took control of their minds... They didn't remember turning on him, attacking him en mass, though they saw Teddie taken over. It should have been obvious that any one of them was vulnerable for such an attack, only the whole 'team' being taken over was another story. Rise-chan had avoided the attack just by her not being a combatant, and apparently opted not to tell anyone else. Which he 'preferred', only Naoto was struggling to find out about it. Of all of them, she was the last person he wanted to view the results of being a victim of an 'all out attack'. "Take your coat and your gun. Go home Naoto-kun you can't help me so just get out."

"You just have all the answers don't you Senpai? Without even giving me a chance you've already done like every other man in my life and written me off." He felt so tired as he heard her say that, as though the weeks they had spent together just never registered in her. "Just like any other man, you think you can push me around, just have your way with me. I think I have given you by far, more credit for consideration then you deserve." She stated before turning towards her things, but her words made him see red.

It took two steps to catch up to her, wrapping his arms around her smaller frame possessively. "If I had you my way Naoto-kun, you'd be on your back with less clothes." He forced her around to face him, not giving her a chance to retaliate for the comment. His hands at his shirt, with his fingers undoing the remaining buttons. What he revealed when he dropped the shirt was enough to alarm Naoto into backing up a step.

There was a huge swath of flesh on Souji that was the sickeningly fresh pink of a burn victim's new flesh. Three long bruises ran along his body from his upper stomach down towards his him that were lost to his pants. A thick ugly bruise seemed to run down his back in the shape of a shield that was shown upon him turning around. While twin bruises from a thin blade trailed down one shoulder dipping into a large circular bruise right over his heart.

"This one? This came when that mind charge that Yukiko got fired off onto me with her Agidyne." He tapped the pink flesh before dropping down to the three bruises below it. "This? This came from Teddie. While under my pants is a nice large bruise from when Chie tried to punt me out of the battle." From there his hand slid up to his shoulder to point to his back. "Kanji gave me this one while I barely avoided Yosuke's attempt at my throat." His fingers lifting up to play against the bruises on his shoulders. While Naoto was trying to take in all the injuries he took her hand and forcibly opened it just to press it over his heart. "And this beautiful Naoto-kun is where you shot me at point blank range."

He could see it in her eyes, the shock and disbelief, her mind losing focus as she tried to recall this moment in such a battle. The internal battle she fought finally ending in her jerking her hand back and her eyes growing wet with tears. "How dare you Senpai! How dare you imply that I would willingly turn my gun against you! I'd sooner shoot myself then bring harm upon you!" She fell back her eyes filling with tears as she repeated "I would never," like a mantra.

"What's the matter Naoto-kun? You wanted to see this, so I gave in again, showed you what you wanted. It may be ugly, but it's the truth." He pointed out as he slowly bent down to pick up his shirt, putting it back on as muscles stretched. The cold air of Japanese winters were never kind to his injuries. "Aren't you happy that you beat me into obeying your wishes?"

"Happy?" Her eyes were shut tight, her whole body trembling with some suppressed emotion. "Happy?! How can I be happy? All I have wanted was to protect you, to be your champion! All my efforts have been to be of use to you, to make you value me and need me! Now you tell me.. Now you tell me I'm no better then anyone else."

He stood there with his shirt unbuttoned as he watched her in her agitation. Words washing over him in waves confirming his suspicion that perhaps his feelings were reciprocated. But even if that was the case, her gender conflicts had reemerged. Hands reached out, gently grasping her shoulders and pulling her close to him. "I don't need you as my champion." He lightly brushed her bangs to the side but she jerked her face away.

"Of course not, I'm a failure. For all the cases I have solved, I should have been more thorough in my observations. Any of you can err on the side of inexperience, but not I. The clues were right there and I ignored them. The very thing I can bring to the table is my detective skills, yet instead of being an asset I've proven myself as a waste of time!" She argued in anger and he frowned at her self accusations. "Not only that, but apparently my mental state is not only damaged to the point of disgrace but so frail that I could be seduced by the enemy."

"Naoto-kun?" Souji called her name, wishing she would ease off her sense of guilt.

"All these years, all the cases I worked on and now when I can't even hope to fall back on the others in the station..." She had pulled away in her agitation, stalking back and forth in the living area her self verbal attacks growing more heated.

"Naoto-kun, I'm the one in charge of this case, not you. If anyone has failed it's me, so please stop attacking yourself like this." He leaned against the wall before sliding down so he was sitting on the floor.

"You don't understand Senpai. You have given me so much, more then I ever expected to receive my whole life. But all I can offer in return is my skills as a detective and even then I fail. What can I possibly offer that is worthy of your kindness then if not that?"

He extended his hand to her as she spoke, waiting to see if she would notice, as well as understand what he meant by the gesture. Palm raised, and a look that pleaded for her to come to him. He needed her to be by his side, not emotionally tearing herself apart, but close to him. Thus when she relented, returning to his side obediently before resting her hand in his as she sat beside him he felt more at peace. Pulling her close to him, the soft touch of her hair under his chin and feeling her snuggling up to him.

"This... this is too girlish..." She muttered causing him to smile as he reached down and pulled out his cellphone. "What are you doing Senpai?"

"I'm going to call Kanji up, tell him to meet me at the river, he and I can have a full on brawl. That should make you not feel 'girlish' right? Nothing like a knock down drag out last man standing to take all the softness out of..." Naoto snatched his cell from his hand and slid it along the ground out of reach before glaring at him.

"Senpai you are in no condition to have any sort of battle!" She snapped, but as the phone slid along the ground he could hear her muttering. "My feelings for him are complicated enough, I need not anymore drama involved."

He felt like he had been sucker punched the feeling of frustration, betrayal and defeat swirling in a whirlpool that was dragging him down. "Your feelings?" He asked and tin ear or not. There was no way to miss the bitterness and pain in his voice. He couldn't even look at her as he continued talking, "I'm sorry, am I in the way? Maybe I'm just holding you up for your date?" He got up to his feet abruptly without looking at her. Refusing to break down in front of her as he felt his heart breaking and the Persona's that served him trying to hold him together with their words.

"Date? What are you talking about Senpai?" Naoto was getting up beside him as he tried to get upstairs to his room. Her hand landed on his arm but he yanked his arm free sharply stalking to the stairs in his effort to get away from the detective. "Senpai? What is the matter? I don't understand, what date you're speaking of." Her tone was surprisingly pleading. It was a tone he never heard from her lips before as she dashed between himself and the stairwell leading to his room. "Senpai, make sense I can't follow your line of thought on this matter!"

"Why am I not surprised. No matter how hard I try to reach you, it turns out to be impossible after all."

"You sound like Kanji-kun." She snapped growing angry at him for some reason though the only person who had any right to be angry was him.

"Don't you dare insinuate that I'm anything like him!" She refused to back down to him while he bore down on her, furious at being liken to a rival, the rival who had beaten him no less. "I've let you strip me down to my pants, I've let you pull me along like a dog. Teddie may think that being abused it part of my job description, who knows he may see all that I go through day after day and think I enjoy the exhaustion. All I am to you is an errand boy huh? Just someone who could help with your case and with no thoughts to my feelings." He pushed her down so she was laying upon the stairs that led to his room not taking a break from his tirade.

"I am here 'because' I am thinking only of your feelings!" She countered trying to push him back so she could get up. "I am here, because you are never far from my thoughts, thus my worry over how you have been handling the recent developments. I will prove myself as your most valued member, even if I have not been around as long as the others."

"And how do you plan to do that? All you're doing is ordering me around, telling me what to do." He countered grabbing her hand and harshly shoving it back to the stairs.

"I see no one else looking after you! No one else ensuring your health!" She returned sounding nearly imperious in tone with a glare that reinforced her own determination.

"So you're saying if I had a girl here you'd leave me by myself? Is that it? If no one else cares you'll just do it as something that has to be done?" He asked his heart breaking and his temper rising.

"So long as you are healthy and happy then so am I, regardless of who is the one keeping you that way." She snarled at him, still trying to break free of his control.

"Happy? How can I be happy when my family is in the hospital?!" He countered ignoring her attempts.

"I am not skilled at this! I'm a detective not a nurturer I don't know how to help you or make you happy." She countered the light from the living room casting her shadowed tears with a slight sparkle.

"How are you going to make me happy when you come here confessing to be in love with someone else."

"'In love with someone else'? For starters I have made no such confession, only that I am having difficulties with one person. Secondly what is 'someone else' supposed to mean? Who am I supposed to be in love with!?" Her breath could be felt hot against his lips as she leaned up as high as she could go from where she was forced to lay.

"Me!" he retorted having lost enough self control to finally admit something he didn't want to say anymore. "I've been trying to get you to fall in love with me and apparently my best efforts aren't good enough!" He felt her grow still under his body, though she didn't back down from him. A slight tremor that ran through her body was felt though.

"Which me? I asked him before that question. He asked me to go to Okina with him so I did, which was an utterly painful trip. We don't talk much, can't in all honesty due to how easy it is for my words to fly over his head. It's painful and in a way it embarrasses me that I can not communicate on the same level as others my own age. During one of our brief narratives I expressed my frustration over being born a girl. As I did with you that time before, yet he gave me a different answer then you did. He said he was happy with me just the way I am." He felt her turn her head away, as she laid down on the stairs. Heard the soft bitter chuckle that rose from her voice while he moved quietly back, resting on one step while she laid there still.

"Well, he's had a crush on you since he first met you before his kidnapping." Souji noted, watching as she sat up finally.

"Oh really now... Me, or the facade I carry?" She asked which gave him a pause. "When we first met, I thought he had a complex due to his awkward behavior towards me. So is he attracted to the woman beneath the clothes or the Detective Prince? I grew up feeling that only a male Shirogane could be accepted. In saying that my..." Her voice dipped into a bitter tone though her way of thinking became more clear to him. "...damaged frame of mind, caused by years of this way of thinking is 'fine'... is no better then telling an addict that their problems are fine and not to be worried about." She looked up at him with a mildly expectant expression on her face, half hidden in shadow. "Am I to be expected to live this lie just to make another person happy?"

He reached out to her, touching her face gently with the tips of his fingers running them against her face towards her ear. For which she answered by resting her face into his hand, while his thumb stroked her cheek. "No, you should not have to live a lie."

"Which is why I can not choose him, but how to explain that to him is the problem." She replied looking down at her hands as they folded onto her lap.

"Tell him you're spoken for, tell him that someone else has won your heart for themselves."

"How? I do not wish to be rude..." There was a sudden ring that wasn't the house phone from somewhere. Naoto got to her feet before walking out of his sight, making him get up to follow her. The sound coming from her cellphone apparently as she answered and began talking to someone else. Nothing more then a quick apology for being gone so late, then as he stood there he watched as she began working on getting back into her Prince role. "Yakushiji-san is waiting outside for me. I need to go."

Watching her fluttering akin to a butterfly, rebinding herself from practice without even undoing the shirt, slipping on the holster, the coat and hat. All done with such speed and efficiency that he was left watching her slip on her hat while rushing to the door. Before he knew it she was at the door promising to see him again the next day while putting on her shoes. Then she was gone, leaving him alone while a sudden realization dawned upon him.

"Naoto? Do you love me back?"


	8. Naoto Chapter 4

Riddle me this

Written By: Lady Lunar Phoenix

Beta:

A/N: The next two chapters will be the FINAL chapters. By now you now what this chapter covers so I'm going to let you guys decide the last one. My gift to you, if you will. Do you want to see the 'I love you' moment or do you want the Christmas date? And no there will be no mature stuff on the Christmas date. I'll count the review replies to know before I start writing it. But I warn you, in two weeks I'll be going to a con, and a week after 'that' I go on vacation IRL and won't probably have something into late October. Sorry.

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There simply had to have been a better way to have dealt with all that. First she had to deal with Yukshiji-san being the supposed 'Phantom Thief', then her Senpai over reacted though it was forgivable, and now Kanji-kun. She walked up the street that led to the Dojima residence mentally reviewing her growing list of reasons why she had to see him. The knife incident, the signs of pain he gave when he moved, subtle but there. There were signs that he was reaching his breaking point, too many jobs, the clubs, the grades, the team, and now with his family both in the hospital with one fighting for her life.

She would go see him, check on him no matter how he may have reacted, then perhaps if time permitted she would find out what caused him to put himself between her and a knife. Fake or not, that had been dangerous as it could mean he would do it again. Perhaps by the time the night was over she could find an answer to give Kanji as well? Though she didn't have much hope on that. But upon reaching the Dojima residence she found herself stonewalled by the front door. She knew he was home, knew his schedule front and back. So why try and shut her out? 'Try' being the word of choice because Naoto refused to be shut out of his life.

"Open this door Senpai! I am already aware that you are in there!"

She spoke with more courage then she truly felt, for the first time in a long while she was walking into a complete unknown. Yet if she was to win Souji's heart for her own she had to face him, though she admitted to herself that this may not be the best way. Lacking a mother to teach her any better path left her with only this option though. She was already aware that Yukiko-senpai and Rise-san were trying to win him. Given what she had heard in the school, but could she beat them out?

But how to do it when she was being shut out? He walked into her life, pushed her out of the way and made himself a very comfortable spot in her heart. Strong in both mind and body, kind, giving, he had become the person she wanted to protect the most outside of her family. She would do anything, sacrifice her health and body for him! Or pick the lock to the front door of the Dojima residence so she could get to him. Which was why she carried a set of lock picks on her person at all times, for those moments when someone wanted to be stubborn.

Say like now perhaps?

It took little effort to undo the lock to the house before she opened the door and walked in. Two could play the game of 'I know better then you and that entitles me to lord over you'. The door opened with ease to her touch after the final twist of her little wire. He was emotionally retreating therefore it was her duty to find out why and bring him back. So there she was swapping footwear while a sound touched her ears.

"I had no idea that you were into breaking the law."

There was something in the way he said that sentence that got her to look up at him. The last time he had used such or a similar tone was when he came to see her 'that' day. On the day she made herself into a bait to find the killer and prove that the cops had the wrong guy. The leader, the defender, the predator sides of him were resurfacing. But she was ready to face him, before she had built her foundations of strength on sand. This time she was better prepared to face his worst, especially if it resulted in helping him recover. "When you are as small as I, as young as I, you learn to bend and or break rules to get your point across," she replied, crisply walking towards him. "Now considering the fact that you openly ignored my polite attempt at entry. May I assume that this is going to be as it was when you came to see me pre-kidnapping?"

"You come any further into this house, then maybe it will."

He was issuing her a challenge as far as she could see, "I see. Very well then, I guess tonight is another fight." She walked down the small hallway with the confidence she normally carried to the outside world. At least to anyone who didn't know the pair would be led to believe that assumption. However; that was far from the truth for Naoto was walking on unfamiliar grounds. Souji had at one time told her he liked her as a girl. For someone in his position to accept something about herself that she rejected for so long, to validate her existence he deserved more.

She ducked under his arm as she moved along, he had saved lives, defended people who he didn't know, but who returned the favor to him? He gave of himself, so who returned the favor and accepted all of him? Once before they fought, Detective Prince against Investigation Team leader, this time she wanted to show him how she had grown. Let Souji face the woman he wanted to see, find out if the woman had the strength to face the leader, was worthy of the leader.

So she removed the hat she always wore dropping it onto the table, before her fingers began undoing the buttons to her coat. "Tsk, chips are all you plan for dinner tonight? That is not healthy Senpai," she pointed out. The next few minutes were of a nerve wracking experience for her as she began to take off the layers of clothes she normally used to hide her gender. Her coat, rolling up the sleeves, removing the gun and holster, all things that reinforced the Detective Prince were removed. Leaving only the girl under it all, no not a girl, a woman worthy of respect and admiration.

"Sorry, I didn't realize I would be having guests. Should I try to make a suitable three course meal for you, Shirogane-sama?"

She could hear the tone in his voice, the dissatisfaction over her presence. It brought to mind the first time he called her a 'Princess', the way he shoved her to the floor and walked into her home like he owned it. She knew she couldn't return the favor completely, lacking the strength and stature to knock him off his feet. But words could be weapons as well.

"If you plan to do so, do it for yourself. I'd rather not see you starve yourself over these events." But even as she spoke, her back to him as she did so, she let her hands work on the small hooks inside her shirt that held her binding bra closed.

"Don't patronize me, Naoto-kun. I can take care of myself."

"Can you? I have begun to doubt that in all honesty." She replied though she knew he was correct for the most part. Spending years alone during meal times or whenever his parents were involved in their work. Souji had told her a great many things, with both words and actions about his life before Inaba. Which was how she knew he would be lonely and sad being apart from his family. She understood the mentality behind it, while at the same time this nameless ache started deep inside her. The senpai was addicted to having someone around, being separated due to such tragedy didn't settle well with him.

"What makes you think you can make that call exactly? I think you're forgetting your place in our group or who the Senpai here is." There was a certain thrill in his stance over her, towering over her smaller frame. That ache twisted with that feeling making her feel almost exhilarated for some reason.

"I know that you are my Senpai, my Senpai and leader. I know my duty to respect you as my Senpai, and obey you as my Leader, but as your follower I am also tasked with ensuring your safety as well." But he was more then simply that, he was her friend and partner, someone who made her feel important. He was the only person that she wanted to surpass not because of pride, rather because she wanted to protect him. "And I do not like what I see here Senpai."

Reaching up as she spoke, her fingers took hold of his shirt as she began undoing the button below his chin. There was something inside her that seemed to get a charge out of doing this. The very act of trying to undress her senpai. The last time she had inadvertently seen him without a shirt had been in the hot springs of the Amagi Inn. The older teen had a strong build under his clothes that could easily stonewall her. While his hands grabbed her hands and firmly pulled them down to keep her from his shirt. So he 'was' hiding something that he didn't want to share, injuries perhaps?

"You've taken off your coat, undid your bra and now you're trying to undo my shirt. Perhaps it's me, but I could very easily misread this as you coming on to me."

The tone he used hinted at the level of intimacy that had only been used twice before. The first time had been physically assertive, powerful and left her unsure of how to respond. His next effort had been much softer, flirtatious, leaving her blushing and unsure of herself. This time though she knew how to respond, even as she blushed. She would defy him and in that defiance she would take anything he dished out and ask for more. "You may be bigger then me, stronger as well. But I'm not backing down on this Senpai and if we have to fight it out then I will do it."

"You may be smaller then me, more delicate. But I'll take you down so hard you'll wake up next week."

"I've seen your strength Senpai. I think I am more then capable of handling it." With that she reached out and grabbed his shirt again looking to undo the rest of the buttons. Already at the edge of the shirt was a worrisome red hue of skin. But before she could work on more buttons he caught her hands and brought them down again. They were strong hands, she felt safe with them on her, even though the pair were slowly rousing into fighting mode against each other again.

"So apparently I've become a disappointment to you Naoto-kun, care to explain in what way I've failed you?"

"As a leader you have done fine. You have led us through to every victory we've had, however; you have allowed yourself to suffer injuries that could easily be mended." She could only mentally scoff at the idea of her senpai being a disappointment of any sort. Then again he clearly held himself to a higher standard then most, which she normally approved of. But if he was getting hurt because he was failing in his own personal expectations she felt it was her duty to try and stop him. So she stood there with her hands in his again, while trying to predict how this would go and what to do about it.

"They're not serious injuries Naoto-kun, Yukiko's magics should be spent on more serious ones." His tone softened, but it didn't relieve her in the slightest as it was the same tone he often used to talk to Teddie or anyone else on the team regarding his health.

"Why will you not show me your chest then. Why do you keep throwing yourself into life or death situations with no concern for the consequences?" A man's pride that was why, Kanji-kun certainly seemed fixated on the theme. But 'pride cometh before the fall' didn't become a quote for no reason.

"I thought you said the knife was fake."

"It is a fake, however; foolishly throwing yourself in front of a potentially lethal situation is not something you should shrug off so easily." Lips turned down into a frown she recalled the earlier event. When she discovered who, exactly, the Phantom Thief was only to be shocked to find out her grandpa was involved. Not only the fact that her grandpa was digging up old memories that she had strove to forget, but her senpai had put himself in the way! Believing a threat in the elder, Souji had tried to protect her from what he perceived as a real knife. She had been terrified from the moment she realized what was happening. Both men meant a great deal to her, so seeing her senpai about to go attack Yakushiji-san scared her terribly.

Yakushiji-san running off made sense to her, but Souji's indication that he would have still fought upset her, though she didn't know how to express her anger at the time. What if someone else threatened her? Would Souji put himself in the way again? If so what would happen then? Would he get hurt or killed because of her?

"Foolish? You mean that if someone threatens you with a knife I should just stand back and let it happen? Maybe like how I let Namatame take Nanako and put her in the TV?"

His tone dropped into something dangerous, telling her that she had gotten onto the topic that was distressing him so much. But she was not a child, and the fact that she was part of his problem upset her. She wasn't a weakling anymore! She didn't need him to protect her at the expense of his own safety! "The knife and the case are two different things! You can not be blamed for the case. The letter threatened if you rescued one more person, it doesn't make any sense that he would come after her before another victim was chosen in the first place!"

"They may be different, but they are linked. It's my actions that are being called into question. Tell me, Shirogane-sama, why did you 'really' come here?" His voice low, a growl as he pushed past her and stalked his way to the fridge, but even in that brief contact she could feel the power he contained.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, Sukuna-Hikona's wings seemed to flutter at her thoughts and feelings while she marched towards him. "I came here because I am concerned for your safety. It upsets me to see you endangering yourself for things outside of your control."

"Nanako-chan isn't someone who was outside my control! Nor are you!"

"I am under 'no' man's control, I do as I will when I will, and no man shall tell me otherwise." She reminded him feeling almost furious at the accusation that she 'belonged' to him. If anything he would belong to her and no other woman!

"I myself will tell you otherwise Naoto-kun. Get out of this house before you drive me to do something that I may deeply regret later on."

She was never going to get over how much it annoyed her to be so short. However; putting his shirt that close to her face only reinforced her need to unbutton it and check on his condition. "I'm not like the other girls, I am not backing down nor will I break from anything you show me Senpai. Do your worst I can take it like a man even if I'm not." His own hands snapped up and grabbed her's so quickly that she couldn't move. Going beyond that she was yanked up against his body, the soft scent of his cologne touching her nose. So subtle this one.

"You touch these buttons again Naoto-kun and I'll start taking off your shirt."

The threat caused her to open her eyes wider then before as the idea of what he was informing her settled in. It re-enforced their different genders, what she could and could not do if she wished to retain her dignity. If she stayed her course would she lose his respect, or would he not be interested in her after what he saw? On the other hand, she came because she was worried about him. She couldn't just stand aside while the leader she had come to respect fell apart in his own world. With that in mind she finally reached out and began undoing her own shirt. The first and second buttons were undone with ease, it was the third button, held prisoner in his fist that was the problem.

She didn't know if she should let him undo the button himself or not seeing as it was in his fist. But suddenly he took the question from her as he began aggressively re-buttoning up her shirt. The focus on her shirt being redone up allowed her a moment's pause to exam the fact that she had his hands on her. Perhaps it eluded him for a moment so she was free to exam how she didn't feel ashamed of his touch. There was no shame, only security in how he handled her making her wonder if she could return the favor. But not now, now was the time to tend to the leader so he could recover.

"Take your coat and your gun. Go home Naoto-kun you can't help me so just get out."

"You just have all the answers don't you Senpai? Without even giving me a chance you've already done like every other man in my life and written me off." Her voice was intentionally dropped to sarcasm and arrogance. The right tones to start the ball rolling in inciting his anger again. "Just like any other man, you think you can push me around, just have your way with me. I think I have given you by far, more credit for consideration then you deserve." Giving him a shot at her back was normally a risky move, if anyone else there was a risk of injury. She began walking towards her things, suggesting she 'would' leave in disgust of his behavior. A trap to see how he would react.

He didn't disappoint her either, from the strong foot steps to the possessive way he grabbed her. In that moment all her questions were answered, as one of his arms crossed over her chest, the other around her side to her waist. This was where want and need came and intersected. She wanted a strong man like in the novels she loved to read, but she needed to be accepted for who she was, respected and needed.

"If I had you my way Naoto-kun, you'd be on your back with less clothes." She never had a chance to retaliate to that comment, though in truth she had no idea what she would have said. It was a statement, carried on a tone that clearly stated he 'could' put her into that position if he wanted to. If he respected her less, thought less of her perhaps. That alone made her want him more, that even when angry he could control himself. Yet he wasn't done with only a mere statement, he turned her around made her face him. Before she could even blush she found him backing off and removing his shirt with quick fingers.

The alarm bells began ringing at the sudden brief displays of red where it shouldn't have been. When he dropped the shirt, mocking her determination to get him out of the shirt she could only reel in shock. Any lesser person wouldn't figure it out, it looked like Souji had just been in a serious battle. Did he focus what healing spells he had to hide the damage to his head and face? Who could have done this? When could they have had the chance? She was supposed to protect him from harm and here she was unknowingly leaving him to such damage. But the worst of it was knowing who it was, she recognized weapon patterns that came from the team.

"This one? This came when that mind charge that Yukiko got fired off onto me with her Agidyne." She had seen the spells that controlled them, but... "This? This came from Teddie. While under my pants is a nice large bruise from when Chie tried to punt me out of the battle." Occasionally she woke up to find herself having struck someone, or being attacked by one of the team members. But this... Her hands balled into fists as he continued. "Kanji gave me this one while I barely avoided Yosuke's attempt at my throat." It should not have happened all at once! Never before had he allowed himself to carry such injuries for a long period of time so when did this happen? She racked her brains out trying to think of a moment that could induce this much injury upon a person. Only he had grabbed her hand, forcing the fingers open from their clenched state. Her hand was placed over his heart, where a single shot fired had left a bruise. "And this beautiful Naoto-kun is where you shot me at point blank range."

Tears filled her eyes as she finally remembered, not so much attacking him as what happened afterwards. Coming around to find the team piled onto their Senpai in such an odd way. She never thought any more of the subject, never considered there might have been more. "How dare you Senpai! How dare you imply that I would willingly turn my gun against you! I'd sooner shoot myself then bring harm upon you!" The tears fell as she began to cry, "I would never," repeated from her lips as she tried to not remember. But her mind was trying to create the scene in the same way it normally did during a case when she was trying to figure out the scenario.

"What's the matter Naoto-kun? You wanted to see this, so I gave in again, showed you what you wanted. It may be ugly, but it's the truth." How could she be so vain as to believe that she would be worthy of him? "Aren't you happy that you beat me into obeying your wishes?"

"Happy?" She felt so useless as she stood there, trembling like some frilly girl with her eyes shut and tears that slipped down. She wanted to protect him, prove herself as a valuable member of the team only to find herself as being no better then any other. Worse yet, Souji had apparently decided to try and hide the truth from her, as though her feelings were fragile. "Happy?! How can I be happy? All I have wanted was to protect you, to be your champion! All my efforts have been to be of use to you, to make you value me and need me! Now you tell me.. Now you tell me I'm no better then anyone else."

"I don't need you as my champion."

She could feel him brushing her bangs with his fingers, but the fact that he felt he had to protect her emotions bothered her immensely. Strong enough to be able to depend upon, someone her senpai could rely on, love even. Instead she found herself as just another damsel in distress. "Of course not, I'm a failure. For all the cases I have solved, I should have been more thorough in my observations. Any of you can err on the side of inexperience, but not I. The clues were right there and I ignored them. The very thing I can bring to the table is my detective skills, yet instead of being an asset I've proven myself as a waste of time! Not only that, but apparently my mental state is not only damaged to the point of disgrace, but so frail that I could be seduced by the enemy."

"Naoto-kun?"

She was pacing and she knew it, as his voice registered only distantly in the back of her mind. For Naoto the only things she could recall or focus on was all the compliments 'he' got for the cases 'he' solved. When she posed as a 'he' "All these years, all the cases I worked on and now when I can't even hope to fall back on the others in the station..."

"Naoto-kun, I'm the one in charge of this case, not you. If anyone has failed it's me, so please stop attacking yourself like this."

"You don't understand Senpai. You have given me so much, more then I ever expected to receive my whole life. But all I can offer in return is my skills as a detective and even then I fail. What can I possibly offer that is worthy of your kindness then if not that?" If Nanako died, she would never live the shame down. An innocent girl dying simply because of Naoto's own carelessness? It was inexcusable!

She turned to resume her argument only to see Souji sitting on the floor with his back to the wall and a hand extended. Souji was beckoning her without words and she could not object to his wishes, especially considering the current situation. With that in mind she relented with a soft sigh and though it galled her, she let him control her. He settled her down beside him, placing her head under his chin. A posture, a hold she was unused to yet there was clear room for adapting to it. His arms around her body, his chin on the top of her head, she felt oddly safe in his arms. "This... this is too girlish..." She didn't know why she said that, perhaps it was to maintain appearances. But her Senpai went about pulling something out and the soft clicks of his cell phone caught her attention. "What are you doing Senpai?"

"I'm going to call Kanji up, tell him to meet me at the river, he and I can have a full on brawl. That should make you not feel 'girlish' right? Nothing like a knock down drag out last man standing to take all the softness out of..." That nearly stopped her heart, the thought of them fighting. True, she doubted he was serious, but instinct took over causing her to grab the phone. Kanji-kun had struck her Senpai once before, she didn't want to be the reason he did it again.

"Senpai you are in no condition to have any sort of battle!" She couldn't bear the thought of them fighting. But she didn't know how to handle 'gently' turning down a love confession. "My feelings for him are complicated enough, I need not anymore drama involved."

"Your feelings?" Her head snapped about to face him in surprise, not understanding why he sounded so upset all of a sudden. Did she do something wrong? "I'm sorry, am I in the way? Maybe I'm just holding you up for your date?"

With that he was getting up to leave her as some unknown yet growing panic began to bother her. Where had she gone wrong? He had gone from holding her gently to trying to get away from her as though she had just insulted him. How could he think himself in the way? What was he trying to tell her in what was clearly anger. She didn't want him to go away, being left behind wasn't something she wanted to endure again! "Date? What are you talking about Senpai? Senpai? What is the matter? I don't understand, what date you're speaking of." She tried to stop him, only to have him jerk his arm away from her touch. So she dashed around him and put herself between him and the stairway that led to his bedroom. "Senpai, make sense I can't follow your line of thought on this matter!"

"Why am I not surprised. No matter how hard I try to reach you, it turns out to be impossible after all."

"You sound like Kanji-kun." She refused to lose him to Yukiko-senpai or Rise-chan! No matter what she had done wrong she was going to find a way to fix it. She 'would' win her Senpai's heart!

"Don't you dare insinuate that I'm anything like him! I've let you strip me down to my pants, I've let you pull me along like a dog. Teddie may think that being abused it part of my job description, who knows he may see all that I go through day after day and think I enjoy the exhaustion. All I am to you is an errand boy huh? Just someone who could help with your case and with no thoughts to my feelings."

She tried to stand her ground, but he pushed her back as though she was simple grass until her heel hit the bottom step behind her. It didn't help when he gave her that shove that sent her flat on her back. The words 'on your back' from earlier playing again in her mind as he laid down on top of her, the weight of his body alone enough to keep her pinned. All she felt was hard muscles, and a very annoying instinct to give in and let him pin her. But... "I am here 'because' I am thinking only of your feelings! I am here, because you are never far from my thoughts, thus my worry over how you have been handling the recent developments. I will prove myself as your most valued member, even if I have not been around as long as the others."

Posture, body language had an influence on the mind, so long as he was in the position of control he would be in that frame of mind.

"And how do you plan to do that? All you're doing is ordering me around, telling me what to do." She might as well not have tried to push him off with the force he used to slam her hand back onto the stairs.

"I see no one else looking after you! No one else ensuring your health!" Couldn't he understand how difficult this was for her? Her defensive tone came off more imperious then she felt, as some unspoken fear began to eat away at her.

"So you're saying if I had a girl here you'd leave me by myself? Is that it? If no one else cares you'll just do it as something that has to be done?"

'You have a girl here! I am a girl!' she thought in anguish. 'I'm trying so hard to be what you want! But I'm not there yet, please give me time I want to be with you!' "So long as you are healthy and happy then so am I, regardless of who is the one keeping you that way."

"Happy? How can I be happy when my family is in the hospital?!"

If it had been Yukiko-senpai or Rise-chan they could have done better. Soft words, gentle touches those were things that brought comfort that they could provide him. Not a detective, perhaps in the end she was a fool to hope. Her instincts were making her combative, but that didn't stop the tears that were beginning to slide down her face. "I am not skilled at this! I'm a detective not a nurturer I don't know how to help you or make you happy."

"How are you going to make me happy when you come here confessing to be in love with someone else." Wait.. WHAT?!

"'In love with someone else'? For starters I have made no such confession, only that I am having difficulties with one person. Secondly what is 'someone else' supposed to mean? Who am I supposed to be in love with!?" She pushed herself up in anger, wondering how any man could be so intelligent that he scored the top of his class while at the same time being so utterly stupid. Souji's hands held down her own, she was forced to arch her back up pressing her own body up against his so she could get in his face.

"Me! I've been trying to get you to fall in love with me and apparently my best efforts aren't good enough!" Or maybe they were both stupid, here they were in love with the other and unable to realize it. She shivered as the force of his voice reverberated into her own body, reinforcing how different a man and a woman's body were.

She finally laid down, unable to handle how close, how intimate they were in that moment. "Which me?" She remembered that day. "I asked him before that question. He asked me to go to Okina with him so I did, which was an utterly painful trip. We don't talk much, can't in all honesty due to how easy it is for my words to fly over his head. It's painful and in a way it embarrasses me that I can not communicate on the same level as others my own age." Thus it had been her curse growing up, unable to talk like the other kids, too smart and mature for her age. "During one of our brief narratives I expressed my frustration over being born a girl. As I did with you that time before, yet he gave me a different answer then you did. He said he was happy with me just the way I am."

Such a life, living the life of a man while being a woman. What type of life was that? He had once before said that her Shadow should just let it out, that they would beat it down. But did he even listen to that Shadow? Did he care about the issues that it brought to the table? Perhaps if every Shadow had been similar to her own, and statistically it was possible, then that was why the other girls in the group were in love with Souji. Kanji-kun, Yosuke-senpai both ignored the issues, while Souji addressed them, reassuring them that despite their flaws they would find acceptance in the world. Maybe they thought it was the right path, but Kanji-kun ignored the problem, while Yosuke-senpai made jokes of it. Something that was not beneficial in times like this.

Who knew? Perhaps the method of the other team members would work on problems that didn't produce Shadows. But in this case, with these situations saying that your way of dealing with the 'issue' was more accepted then the person...

"Well, he's had a crush on you since he first met you before his kidnapping." Yes, he had a crush on the 'Detective Prince'.

"Oh really now... Me, or the facade I carry?" Saying he was in love with a man was a social taboo, not so severe in Japan as opposed to other countries perhaps, but certainly frowned upon. Did he only see a woman in men's clothes and felt his masculinity was protected? "When we first met, I thought he had a complex due to his awkward behavior towards me. So is he attracted to the woman beneath the clothes or the Detective Prince? I grew up feeling that only a male Shirogane could be accepted. In saying that my..." She couldn't stop her bitterness as the possibility rose up from the back of her mind. Maybe a woman like her was suitable, while not a true homosexual relationship it saved face and allowed him to pretend he was with a man. "...damaged frame of mind, caused by years of this way of thinking is 'fine'.. is no better then telling an addict that their problems are fine and not to be worried about. Am I to be expected to live this lie just to make another person happy?"

His fingers touched her face sliding down to her ear and for once she gave into a womanly desire to rest her face against his touch. Her breath falling upon his palm as he stroked her cheek.

"No, you should not have to live a lie."

'Thank you,' she thought as she laid there while butterfly wings were sealed into a cocoon.

"Which is why I can not choose him, but how to explain that to him is the problem." Kanji was a kind person, who meant well in his efforts. But he was not someone she could find herself being happy with.

"Tell him you're spoken for, tell him that someone else has won your heart for themselves."

"How? I do not wish to be rude..." There was a sudden ring that wasn't the house phone from somewhere. Naoto got to her feet the phone a grateful distraction from his words. Admit that she was spoken for? How would she do that? Nervous and frightened getting back into her normal role of the Prince was something she could focus on. Souji had become her ultimate riddle, a riddle she knew the answer to, but at the same time feared answering. "Yakushiji-san is waiting outside for me. I need to go."

It wasn't until she was outside in the Japanese winter cold that she realized how silly she had been. She had won Souji's heart and never even realized it, now to just confess.


	9. Souji Chapter 5

Riddle me This

Beta: No one

Written By: Lady Lunar Phoenix

A/N: HOLY COW I'M DONE!

_It was a typical chilly day when they found the pocketbook. Racing up the stairs to the top of the hill had no effect on them anymore. What was running up hill compared to running through a dungeon just to end up in a life or death physical confrontation with Shadows after all? They were approaching the final part of the task set before Naoto by her grandfather. But as he climbed up the steps, the fiery colors of autumn leaves clinging to the trees, he found his thoughts, not on the case. But what made him fall in love with Naoto in the first place. Yukiko had been right after all, it was odder that he would fall in love with Naoto after he found out she was a girl, then Kanji who fell for her when they thought she was still a he._

_It wasn't until he was properly introduced to Naoto's family butler that he found the answer to Yukiko's question. He could not love something that was not the truth. Yes, there were many sides to the truth, no solid one truth existed. Yes, everyone hid behind masks because it was easier then facing certain truths. But the more that Naoto revealed to him, the more beautiful her 'truth' became. The prince was a lie and he could not accept that, but the princess was so much more. The pocketbook was the final proof. _

"_Tell me a story, Princess. Tell me about the day you made this," he looked up at her from where he sat. He tapped one finger on the pocketbook she was holding while hot tears spilled down her face. The other hand raised up so that he could help wipe away the tears as she took to trying to look at him._

"_This? I-I made this shortly after my mother died. I didn't understand back then that she wasn't coming back. So I asked my grandfather if I may have it and he agreed. I began putting all my tools in it so I had an easy way to carry them around. Back then, I began taking a lot of my mothers' belongings in an effort to work on an ideal detective," she admitted. _

_He stood up as she explained how it all fell apart, wrapping his arms around her so she could hide against his chest. Everything she didn't admit to back when he made her breakfast seemed to come out now. No one liked the 'girl', no one appreciated the girl, girls were weak and emotional, girls lacked the ability to solve crimes, girls just weren't cool. Off handed comments from adults meant to dissuade a child perhaps? Did the adults ever think for a second about anyone else, besides themselves and their egocentric view's of genders and careers?_

_Of course not, adults were careless they believed their age enabled them to say whatever they wanted to whoever. They swore and drank in front of their children, then acted amazed and upset when their kids picked up the habit. Even her exalted grandfather let her down. It was his job to fight for her, she was just a child. He should have defended her, stood up for her, made it clear that she didn't have to do this to herself. Instead he stood back and let her make her own choices, allowed the influence of others torment her to this degree._

_He lowered his head and pressed his face against her face, whispering his love for her while the sisters whispered that this had been her fate. For her to suffer allowed for her to come before him now like this. For him to heal, for him to restore, for her to aid him in finding the truth. 'She should not have had to suffer like this,' he argued in anger. But their cool indifference was unmovable, 'this is the price humanity paid for the right to choose their destiny.'_

"_You're the only person to know the truth and yet accept me for it, Senpai. The only one who doesn't find my masculine behavior superior. Thank you... I think... I found... I... I love you Senpai," she blushed as she spoke. Tilting her head up to look at him, but the bill of her cap blocked her eyes. So he pulled it off so he could see her tear stained eyes. _

"_I love you, Naoto-kun," he replied, her cap in one hand, her in his arms. _

She had recovered, her tears had turned into resolve, and Sukuna-Hikona turned into Yamato Takeru. It pleased him to see her growing strength, just as it amused him when she sent him a massage through riddles and hints. Through out the day they played that game until he realized she was informing him that she was spending Christmas with him. Not asking, rather she stated with all the certainty that he wouldn't decline. The act left him amused enough that he called her on it, asking when she suddenly decided she had that much control over him. Her two reasons followed the extreme of potential reasons. The first being because she wasn't taking 'no' for an answer, the second reason was the more modest, compassionate one. The chance to not have to run around like he had been for the case day after day and night after night. A night where he didn't have to spend it staring at the tv or worrying about someone out there plotting a murder.

Which was why he was looking down at Naoto as she walked up the steps to his room. In her arms was a pale box. Tucked under one arm was a modest parcel of some type that he didn't know about, perhaps a gift? He moved aside so that she could enter her small stature making it easy for her to slip by. Suddenly a thought hit him in amusement, a true 'bullet with butterfly wings'.

"Senpai? Why is your futon already out?"

He could barely hold in the laughter at that tone, tight and a little higher pitched then normal. "Ahh and here I thought you knew... Perhaps love has made your intellect slow down my Princess?" He smirked at the catch in her throat. He reached up and let his fingers lightly dance against her lower jaw. "That is the rule after all, I'll do as you say, but I'll do it 'my' way."

She turned bright red, and he backed up so she could walk further into the room. So cute, the way she shuffled to the table and set down her box. So he shut the door behind her, and watched as she looked at the meal on the table. "I did plan on us making the Christmas meal together, but Uncle started making comments. I realized if I did that he'd assume we were getting married and well..."

Naoto wasn't ready to be teased by others, his uncle, no matter how well intentioned would make her more uncomfortable. Unlike other kids in the school, Uncle Dojima was a cop, teasing by him, in her mind would equal her losing his respect. He walked to the small table and began place setting the food for them. Leaving a spot for her box, while she put the other package she had been carrying beside her. Even as he settled into his seat, he couldn't stop his mind from working, working on one path, discarding then assuming another one. It wasn't his normal frame of mind, but after going through the hell he had in the other world?

As much as he loved Naoto, he couldn't keep her caged to his own greed. She had to choose her own path, and if that path allowed for them to continue walking together he would be happy. But if she grew apart from him, well, there was always now to indulge in right? "I have to admit, you opting to challenge me to riddles just to ask about us spending tonight together... Did you think I would lose?"

She shook her head as she looked about the table, "no, of course not Senpai, I have full confidence that you are capable of anything that you put your mind to."

He smiled as he gently pushed her down so she could sit and have dinner, walking around the table to join her. But as he did so she shifted the box to the side of the dinner and the odd package on the ground. They stole from each other's plates, enjoyed the pretend battles, talked casually of school work, and life outside of the case. Tonight, it was about the two of them, there was no concern of another victim of a kidnapping that could turn tragic, just regular teenage things. The snow falling gently outside, the warm food, and the companionship of the one they loved. He reached out, gripping her hand so he could kiss her inner wrist gently. She blushed from the contact and returned the gesture by kissing the back of his hand.

He felt deep down inside, the original Persona he manifested stir, a sense of rueful indulgence from the ancient god. For a moment he found it strange, that Izanagi would awaken and feel such things over a simple Christmas dinner. But then he remembered, Izanagi was one half of a duo, no one had manifested Izanami and he probably missed his wife.

'Thou should play with thine love, I shall be fine.' Izanagi thought to him as the ancient soul settled to watch Souji in the back of the teen's mind. 'Thou art matured, unlike thine fellows, thou has now a matured mind. One that understands to treat life and the time thou spendth as precious as it is.'

"I ahh... I made the cake, Senpai. I followed the instructions so hopefully it came out to your satisfaction."

She cut it, served it, and it was to his satisfaction, then again anything edible was to his satisfaction, Mystery Food X proved that. It was a typical strawberry flavored cake, the icing was a bit sloppy, the strawberries on top a bit off. But all in all the cake tasted fine. Which was an earth shattering relief to him. "My grandfather finally answered my call. I guess I had to finish the assignment before he would, though I thought I would tell you. He's pleased that I have made friends here..." She suddenly couldn't look at him anymore, her eyes adverting to the side as a soft blush appeared.

"And what does he think of me?" Naoto choked on her next bite, causing him to raise an eyebrow in surprise. "Well?"

"Well... you see, ah, the first time I talked about you... was the day after the trip to the Amagi Inn."

He couldn't stop himself from grinning, because 'that' had to be the most incredibly interesting conversation she had for a long time. "Well don't leave me in suspense, Naoto-kun, tell me."

"I-it ah, wasn't much... really," she rambled, her cheeks an increased shade of red.

"I could tell him," Souji replied, before taking another bite of cake. As her eyes grew wide, he developed a smirk. "But where would I start? How your body feels pressed close to mine or how you look in nothing, but, a towel?" Her face could have been used to replace a stop light at that point, which amused him.

"Senpai! I can not talk like that to my grandfather, you are well aware of that!" she looked ready to bury herself under the table.

"Fine, but there isn't much else you can talk about, after all, it's not like you can just discuss the details of the case with him."

"This is true, but he is happy that I've made friends," she spoke in a softer tone, more thoughtful and, to his ears, more afraid. "But I fear showing my true gender to him, what would he think of me if I tried."

"If he's worthy of being your grandfather, then he won't have a problem with it," Souji replied, simple words true, but if the man hurt Naoto by rejecting her...

"Worthy? He's a well respected detective, Senpai..." Naoto began when Souji cut her off.

"It doesn't matter if he's the well respected Emperor of Japan, Naoto-kun. So long as you feel loved and safe, that's the responsibility of a parent to their child. Even I learned that living here," Souji replied, his voice firm as he saw the surprise in her eyes. "My parents work very hard and even if they love me, they have little time for me."

She blinked in surprise at that admission before lowering her eyes in deep thought. Then finally, after sometime passed while they ate, "I'm surprised then. I would not have imagined someone to live such a lonely life and yet be so caring, so loving."

"I guess it's because I chose not to give into the solitude," he replied. But the truth was probably because of his acceptance of isolation, he never manifested a Shadow. Shadows were manifested from the person's denial of the the situations they found themselves in. "My perseverance paid off in the end, since I found you."

She blushed, but looked proud even as her cheeks darken and she fidgeted about pulling down her cap. "I will admit I never thought that I would find someone for myself. That I would forever be alone, due to both my choice in occupation and my deception. At most, I thought I would enter a marriage contract and that love would be irrelevant. Only now, I've begun to understand what my parents must have felt for each other." She was quiet for a bit longer before quietly gathering up the package she had brought with her. "May I use your bathroom for a moment, I wish to show you something?"

He nodded, allowing her to leave him thus he began straightening table, putting the used dishes away in the kitchen down stairs. By the time he managed to get back to the stairs that went up to his room, he saw a flash of light. Since apparently Naoto made it to his room again after doing whatever she needed to. When he walked into the room, for an insane moment he thought one of his classmates had walked into it. It was simply improbable to imagine Naoto willingly donning a school girl's uniform.

"Naoto-kun?" He asked in amazement as she turned to look up at him, donning a fragile smile. Trying to be strong while still being nervous, this wasn't like her regular clothes after all. It was one thing to just undo the binding bra and be in her typical clothes, but well... He had experience in a girl's uniform, and even the winter wear lacked the sense of warmth or security. Being in a skirt left her legs more prone to the chill and thus reinforced the idea that she was nearly naked.

"Ahh, how do you like it Senpai?" She asked nervously, clasping her hands in front of her chest as though she was cold. Probably was actually as he thought about it, considering how she was probably unprepared for how skirts felt.

His answer came in wrapping his arms around her and burying his face into her hair. "You look exactly like I'm going to be fighting off other boys from chasing you."

"Senpai," she scolded, pushing him back only he chuckled and gathered her back into his arms.

"It's true, I'd fight for you," he chuckled as he gently rubbed his index finger against her chin. Even as she snorted and grabbed the collar of his shirt, silently pulling him down closer to her face, as she planted her other hand on her hip.

"I can fight for myself, and if anyone is fighting to keep rivals off I'll be the one fighting."

He started thinking of all the types of 'fights' Naoto could get into and felt his cheeks grow flushed with embarrassment at the thoughts running through his mind. Souji backed up quickly before he embarrassed himself further. So he took to walking over to his desk and produced a small case that held his gift to Naoto for Christmas. "I got you something for Christmas as well," he spoke as he held the gift to her. But she shook her head quickly.

"Senpai this isn't the 'real' gift, it was just something I wanted to show you. Here, allow me to change clothes and I'll get it for you."

He tilted his head to the side as she dashed off, smiling as he did so realizing that he was one of the few, if not the only person, who would ever see her in that outfit. Souji looked down at the CD case in his hand, thinking over the nights that he worked on making the recording. Both editing it into a solid CD, then placing all his mess ups on another one as a bonus disc. Getting a copy of the novel and then doing the CD had taken a bit of work, but he was happy with the outcome. Hoping that Naoto would also enjoy the CD, since her family servants claimed this had been her all time favorite book.

She returned quickly, without binding her breasts, and held a small box in her hands, while the outfit was tucked back in it's bag under one arm. Souji recalled the Detective badge she had made for him, how she hand made it for him. Leaving him wondering what she could have done this time for him, as he walked over. "Merry Christmas Naoto-kun," he spoke as he walked, holding out the gift for her to take as she echoed him giving him her gift.

"Host first," she told him as he looked at the small wrapped box in his hands. He sat down on the couch and quietly opened the small box, revealing a large faced watch. It almost looked like a toy, but so did the badge so...

"I adjusted it, it has a sensor that allows it to detect where I... ah am, it's range is limited, but ah...." She was sitting down beside him, but the fact that he was being presented with what could be considered a glorified GPS unit...

"Are you stalking me?" he asked with a total straight face. Because his Persona were currently en mass laughing at the situation.

"NO! I ah, just, you're always in my mind, and I'm wearing one, too," she looked away, but really.

"Thank you for the GPS Unit disguised as a watch, it's better then wearing a leash," he teased as he removed his own watch and slipped hers on. So now they could walk around secretly with leashes on their significant other. There was a kink to this, but he wasn't bringing it up.

Souji watched as she deftly peeled off the tape and unwrapped a small CD case. Clearly curious as she had nothing on her that could show her what it was. "I got in contact with your family servants at the Estate. In order to make amends for what they did in the 'case', they willingly told me what your favorite book growing up was. So I got a copy of it, and read the whole thing saving it onto that disc. I hope that a single year of theater classes will be enough to make the disc a pleasant thing to listen to."

He watched her eyes grow wide, hands trembling before she clutched the item to her chest. "Oh Senpai, thank you... this.. this is just..."

He wrapped his arms around her gently before whispering again "Merry Christmas Naoto-kun, I love you."

She leaned in closer, and he lowered his head to greet her lips with his own. It was warm and soft, the slight hint of strawberries still lingering on her. Compelling him to kiss her...

Once, twice...

Distance 1meter.


	10. Naoto Chapter 5

Riddle me This

Beta: No one

Written By: Lady Lunar Phoenix

A/N: HOLY COW I'M DONE!

_She didn't know how to ask him at first, how to present her request in a way that would gain approval. Then again, she was merely attempting to ask him if they could spend the holiday together. She went through several various versions of 'May I spend Christmas with you Senpai?' ranging from politely worded letters, to personal meetings. Finally she opted to resume the riddles they had played before, when he discovered her gender. The last clue would put him at her apartment in two hours, so she had opted to soak in the tub. _

_Naoto closed her eyes and let the warm water rest her body, while the bubbles that surrounded her sparkled a bit from the lighting in the bathroom. The soft rainbow of colors let her mind wander away for a bit, and since Adachi had been caught there was no reason why she shouldn't. It was peaceful in there, so much so that she didn't realize that she had nodded off until she heard a voice calling her._

"_Naoto-kun? Oh Naoto-kun..." her eyes flew open as she sat up straight in the bathtub. The water was chill now, the bubbles nearly gone and she couldn't tell how long she was out of it. "I'll assume by the sound, that you've woken up, in that case. May I come in? I'm assuming your taunting riddles were to bring me here. A reward of your naked body would be nice." She could hear him teasing her from outside the, now open, door, did he open it and look at her as she slept?_

_The bath water being cold no longer mattered, since she was blushing so much now she could no longer feel it. She had never gotten the key back to her apartment, and for a moment she didn't know if she regretted that mistake or welcomed it. But she had to get out of the bath now, and that meant..._

"_Shut the door then go to the other side of the apartment, and let me hear you!" she called out before sinking deeper into the water of the tub. He was on the other side of the door, though he kept his gaze up towards the ceiling as he reached over and grabbed the door to close it. From there she could hear it click and his voice rose up beyond it._

"_I accepted your challenge Naoto-kun. But I think you should increase the difficulty of those riddles, since it didn't take me any time to figure them out." _

_Naoto heard his footfalls and his voice, taking it into account before she finally stood up in the bath, climbing out and grabbing her towel. She swiftly began drying herself off and putting on another set of clothes before pulling the plug in her bathtub. But the moment she opened the door and walked out she found herself caught in Souji's arms. He had gotten behind her, though she didn't know how, then wrapped his arms around her smaller frame. _

"_If you wanted to spend Christmas with me, all you had to do was ask you know. Perhaps when I first arrived here, I would have yielded just to make you happy, but now..." he lowered his head, letting his breath fall on her ear. "Now, I expect to be the one on top as payment for this admission."_

_'On top' could mean several things really, that he wished to assume the male role totally, assigning her the softer female one, or... well there was always 'that' meaning. "I suppose that is agreeable, so long as we're in agreement of what 'on top' means..." Her arms were over his so she reached up and brought her hand behind his neck to pull his head down closer to her face as she spoke. _

"_I'm sure by the end of the night we'll have decided on the true meaning of those words," he was so amiable in tone as he spoke. "This will be my only Christmas here for a while at least, so I want to share it with you." She turned around and buried her face into his chest out of objection that he would have to leave. "It'll be ok Naoto-kun, we have each other after all. Besides your message all, but, states that I am to be in total obedience to you. So tell me princess, why do you want to spend Christmas at my place?"_

"_I thought about allowing you to celebrate here, however; as I thought about it, it occurred to me that you have spent many days away from there. Busy traveling to and from locations due to the case, school and your numerous jobs. I felt that perhaps as part of the 'gift' concept I should back off and allow you to stay home, thus travel to see you instead." _

_Only a pair of thin shirts stood between her and Souji's bare chest, something that created an interesting sensation deep within her. She wasn't used to being so intimately close to someone who cared about her. But Souji was warm, and by her side thus she didn't mind, in fact she welcomed it, as her mind shift back to how he stole her first kiss. In this very apartment in fact, and he held her in much the same way, close with an incredibly tender hold._

Which brought her back to why she was spending Christmas with Souji, more importantly, why weren't they having it in the family room? 'His' room implied that an understanding had been reached about who would be 'on top', not only that, as she passed him...

Why was his futon already out?! "Senpai? Why is your futon already out?" Already her mind started on what a futon could be used for. Warm skin, strong arms, a deep seated surrender that awoke when Souji touched her. Was this what it meant to be in love? This ability to look into someone's eyes and get lost in them?

"Ahh and here I thought you knew... Perhaps love has made your intellect slow down my Princess?" She swallowed hard as she heard his amused voice, the teasing that went with it. "That is the rule after all, I'll do as you say, but I'll do it 'my' way." The feeling of his fingers running against her flesh didn't help her any. "I did plan on us making the Christmas meal together, but Uncle started making comments. I realized if I did that he'd assume we were getting married and well..."

The very thought did startle her as she shuffled to the table. Since if she walked in her normal style, she couldn't promise she wouldn't fall over in sheer nerves. But he did have a point, Dojima-san would probably raise an eyebrow over who Souji was making a meal with. Despite how she acted around Souji, Naoto wasn't sure if she could handle being teased about marriage.

"I have to admit, you opting to challenge me to riddles just to ask about us spending tonight together... Did you think I would lose?"

She shook her head as she sized up the meal presented to her, "no, of course not Senpai, I have full confidence that you are capable of anything that you put your mind to."

His hands were on her shoulders, gently pushing her down to the seat at his table, so she submitted and knelt down. Settling herself in, placing the package that held the school girl's uniform to the side. No matter how many times she had been invited to his room, it never stopped to amaze her that she was doing this at all. Somehow she had managed to convince herself quite well that no one would appreciate her odd likes and dislikes; accept her for who she was without forcing her to be someone else. So when they began to eat, the atmosphere was much the same as when she was first rescued, relaxed and safe. When he took her hand and kissed the inside of her wrist, she reacted by gently kissing the back of his hand. Even as she felt the warmth return to her cheeks, really she shouldn't have been this modest, yet Souji just had that type of influence over her.

"I ahh... I made the cake, Senpai. I followed the instructions so hopefully it came out to your satisfaction."

For a moment he seemed distant as though thinking something very deep. So she said nothing to interrupt him, instead she pulled her cake box over. Opening it and began working on presenting the cake. She cut and served it, while hoping that someone as good as he was at cooking, approved of her limited skills. "My grandfather finally answered my call. I guess I had to finish the assignment before he would, though I thought I would tell you. He's pleased that I have made friends here..."

Upon that admission she looked away from him, nervous and shy all the same time. When she had originally spoken to her grandfather she had gone to quite a length about being forced into that trip. He had argued that perhaps it would give her a chance at spending time around kids her own age. All her previous cases had her working only with adults, but this was something new. She had argued the whole time, until he asked for the report on what had happened. When he had learned what happened at the hot springs he had grown very quiet. All she could focus on was how her gender was discovered, over time her grandfather asking if she had come to respect this group's leader.

Respect? She wasn't sure about that in all honesty. At first she considered him a poor imitation of the detectives she adored in the books she read. But after the hot springs, she got to know him better in those days before her kidnapping.

"And what does he think of me?" Naoto choked on her next bite, causing him to raise an eyebrow in surprise. "Well?"

"Well... you see, ah, the first time I talked about you... was the day after the trip to the Amagi Inn." Her conversations with her grandfather had dwindled down at that point. Probably because of his Phantom Thief case, but also because of his friend.

She noted his grin, but she felt more embarrassed simply because for a time she wasn't asked about him. "Well don't leave me in suspense, Naoto-kun, tell me."

"I-it ah, wasn't much... really," she rambled, her cheeks an increased shade of red. She had feared him finding out, though Souji's grades were solidly in the higher bracket of students, he didn't come from an established family. Naoto had feared that perhaps her grandfather would disapprove of her growing feelings for the upperclassman.

"I could tell him," Souji replied, and she could hear the smirk in his voice. But apparently her grandfather had been alerted that there was a man in Naoto's life. For their next conversation brought Souji up to discussion. "But where would I start? How your body feels pressed close to mine or how you look in nothing, but, a towel?"

Oh no, that would kill her, forget her grandfather!

"Senpai! I can not talk like that to my grandfather, you are well aware of that!" she felt ready to die at that moment. It hit rather alarmingly close to home for her, not that her grandfather mentioned such adult themes. But her grandfather had expressed his pleasure that Naoto had found both friends, and someone who took a deeper interest in her.. He had concluded that Souji's focus, during her recovery among other things, implied possible interest. Naoto's reciprocation had delighted the older man and the servants it seemed. Despite how they treated her, it seemed they had similar hopes for her finding someone as would be expected upon a girl. Yet it didn't annoy her as much as she would have thought.

"Fine, but there isn't much else you can talk about, after all, it's not like you can just discuss the details of the case with him." But perhaps that was due to the fact that she had fallen for the one they were hoping for.

"This is true, but he is happy that I've made friends. But I fear showing my true gender to him, what would he think of me if I tried." Which was the truth, Naoto wasn't exactly sure what she would become in accepting her gender. She had abandoned the ideal detective image being female so long ago, she'd have to go back to the drawing boards. What clothes would she ultimately choose? Styles? Colors? Really some of the stuff she knew, but the others and what her grandfather would think...

"If he's worthy of being your grandfather, then he won't have a problem with it."

"Worthy? He's a well respected detective, Senpai..." How could he say that? Her grandfather was well admired, in the high class circles of law enforcement many knew his name! With a grandson he could proudly state who Naoto was, but with a girl... it was just...

"It doesn't matter if he's the well respected Emperor of Japan, Naoto-kun. So long as you feel loved and safe, that's the responsibility of a parent to their child. Even I learned that living here, my parents work very hard and even if they love me, they have little time for me."

His tone of voice was enough to startle her, his force of voice, the look of determination in his eyes. The fact that he felt so strongly to say that was enough to reinforce that he loved her. But if that was the case, then her analysis of his background was a little off. "I'm surprised then. I would not have imagined someone to live such a lonely life and yet be so caring, so loving." She understood that they were normally gone, thus why he knew so many domestic skills. But the fact that he learned what it meant to have a family while being here in Inaba, with extended family rather then his own. Even if they loved him, how did he view his relationship to his parents?

"I guess it's because I chose not to give into the solitude, my perseverance paid off in the end, since I found you."

"I will admit I never thought that I would find someone for myself. That I would forever be alone, due to both my choice in occupation and my deception. At most, I thought I would enter a marriage contract and that love would be irrelevant. Only now, I've begun to understand what my parents must have felt for each other." She blushed as she confessed, but at the same time she felt strong and proud of what they were sharing. Being the unknown proof of his way of life, a way that allowed her to meet him was exhilarating. "May I use your bathroom for a moment, I wish to show you something?"

Gathering up the package she slipped out of the room and down towards the bathroom. Opening the package, she couldn't help but feel a sense of trepidation over the act of putting on a girl's uniform. It was winter wear, but even then it felt odd, the fit was different then what she was used to, the cut and style expecting of small modest breasts. Yet, while Naoto clearly didn't stick out like one of those ridiculous American actresses with breasts the size of melons and brain sizes to match, yeah still odd. The bra was simple, and between that and the lack of restriction, she felt she was topless in a sense. The skirt... well Chie-senpai had the right idea, biking shorts, something that was tight to the body would have done better. Cold air just came up her legs making her shiver as she looked over the final result of her in a school girl's uniform.

A few spot checks and she was peering out of the bathroom before rushing back to Souji's room. If she thought standing in a skirt was bad, running in one was worse. Kept feeling like it was flapping against her legs and drove her crazy. But she was at his door, no embarrassing moments just her, her clothes and her dignity... oh and goosebumps. Behind her, she could hear Souji's footsteps as they ascended the stairs to his room. For a moment a panic seemed to engulf her that he would laugh or ridicule her for the outfit. But no, this was part of being a girl, a different style of dress and something he would understand. Right? He didn't mind any of the other girls in skirts after all.

"Naoto-kun?"

"Ahh, how do you like it Senpai?" She asked her voice conveying more nervousness then she would have liked. Her hands stayed close to her chest, the blunted v cut still making her feel like her breasts were more visible then they were. She tried to look him in the eye, but her fears kept her eyes just about mid upper chest. Her answer came when his arms slipped around her, warming her from the chill and restoring her confidence.

"You look exactly like I'm going to be fighting off other boys from chasing you."

The difference between men and women's clothing could be felt in that moment, the clothes she was used to was made of thicker, stiffer material. Meant to make it harder to detect her natural female body. Even when she took the coat off, it was still a man's shirt and thick like one. It was also a bit interesting, because it allowed for a subtle evaluation of the male form. In laymans Japanese, it meant she could touch him and not be obvious...

"Senpai," she scolded, as soon as he stopped being so flirtatious at least. Naoto pushed him back trying to escape from his possessive hold, partly because the thin clothes issue worked both ways... and she wasn't stupid. And Souji wasn't easily dissuaded apparently, before she found herself in his embrace. Which all and all wasn't a bad thing, he was warm, and if he didn't try to use the top of her head for a headrest... Stupid lack of height.

"It's true, I'd fight for you."

She felt his finger rubbing her chin, but if he thought for a second that he was the sole proprietor of defending the other... Naoto had spent so many years of her life alone and craving acceptance, to have it now, acceptance and a lover. It was a drug she didn't want to give up, a high that intoxicated her to no end. "I can fight for myself, and if anyone is fighting to keep rivals off I'll be the one fighting."

His light blush was a victory for her, a triumph in creating that response out of him. So when he let her go, she accepted the momentary chill, as he walked to his desk and pulled out something. "I got you something for Christmas as well," he spoke as he held out what looked like a wrapped CD case to her. But she shook her head quickly, unwilling to give in to him and act like a frilly girl despite being excited about it.

"Senpai this isn't the 'real' gift, it was just something I wanted to show you. Here, allow me to change clothes and I'll get it for you."

Naoto quickly returned to the bathroom to change, unlike other girls, she was just too vulnerable to the cold still. Years wearing the thicker, warmer clothes of a boy made this sudden introduction to winter chill more harsh on her. But it also meant that she was more quicker in putting those clothes back on. Though for a minute she stood there, the shirt on, but unbuttoned with the unbuttoned binding bra under that. Debating for a moment before deciding that she was a woman, she didn't need to hide her natural figure from her Senpai. Dojima, yes, Souji, no, simple as that, so she buttoned up the shirt and then packed up the clothes so she could rejoin Souji in his room. As she ascended the stairs she pulled out the box she had wrapped her gift in.

She walked into the room, with him standing there the CD case still in his hands. So she walked over to him while he spoke, the gift she made for him in her hands as well. "Merry Christmas Naoto-kun."

"Host first," the gifts switched hands, as she spoke. He went to his couch and sat down before unwrapping it leaving her standing there with a sense of apprehension. Being and accepting that she was a woman was one thing, but the watch was childish in appearance. Even she realized that the gift looked childish. But she didn't have the proper tools to make a realistic looking watch, even at home.

He unwrapped the gift, opening the case to remove the watch itself. His momentary blinking and studying of said item caused her to inwardly pale.

"I adjusted it, it has a sensor that allows it to detect where I... ah am, it's range is limited, but ah...." For the first time having to say 'what' it did made her realize something...

"Are you stalking me?" And his lack of facial expression upon saying that was enough to make her really worry.

"NO! I ah, just, you're always in my mind, and I'm wearing one, too," did she screw this up that badly?

"Thank you for the GPS Unit disguised as a watch, it's better then wearing a leash," she didn't think of it as a leash! She... was that how it looked to others? If they knew, it well... Her mind began trying to discern it when she realized that, yes, it would look like she was a possessive girlfriend.

She was still nervous sitting on the couch, but she accepted the CD case and began unwrapping it. The color copy jacket on the case read the title of the book she used to read as a child.

"I got in contact with your family servants at the Estate. In order to make amends for what they did in the 'case', they willingly told me what your favorite book growing up was. So I got a copy of it, and read the whole thing saving it onto that disc. I hope that a single year of theater classes will be enough to make the disc a pleasant thing to listen to."

Her hands shook and her eyes grew wide, as she heard his explanation of the CD. The very idea that he had gone through all the trouble to make this for her was very touching. "Oh Senpai, thank you... this.. this is just..." She felt his arms engulf her, for once her small stature didn't bother her, she felt perfect in his arms.

"Merry Christmas Naoto-kun, I love you."

It was an odd mix between before when he stole her first kiss in her apartment, nervous and yet joyful this time. But she wouldn't deny him this, he had given her so much, to deny him a kiss was too cruel. One kiss... Two kisses...

Distance 1meter.


End file.
